


Skinned Knees and Hollow Trees

by IgarashiSora



Series: Tripping On Daydreams [2]
Category: Addams Family - All Media Types, The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Attempted Kidnapping, Ben Addams, Ben Hargreeves Gets a Hug, Ben Hargreeves is Alive, Ben also gets all the love and attention he deserves, Ben is adopted by the Addams, Ben is short for Benedict because Morticia, Ben thinks reginald is a pedo, Blood, But i promise its not kinky its just mean, Charlie is Stephen King's, Cute Kids, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Epilogue, Family, Family Feels, Firestarter - Freeform, Fluff, Fran is from Fran Bow, Good Brother Ben Hargreeves, Good Brother Klaus Hargreeves, Good Sister Wednesday Addams, Happy Ending, Humor, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kidnapping, Klaus Addams, Klaus Hargreeves Gets A Hug, Klaus gets the love and attention he deserves, Klaus has his comic book powers, Klaus is an Addams, Multi, Murder, Murder but not detailed, No sexual things i promise, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pain, Panic Attacks, Rating May Change, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Shock Collars, So TW for that I guess, Tags May Change, Theyre just kids fam, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, because Reginald, because klaus, but that is far too much effort, eensy weensy bit of blood, heuheuheu, i promise most of it is cute, i would include pubert, in the special Addams way, oh wow this is starting to look very very scary lol, sad shit, satanic rituals, they grow up LOVED, this is a prompt fic, until it's not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2020-01-15 03:37:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 51,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18490537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IgarashiSora/pseuds/IgarashiSora
Summary: On October 1st, 1989, Morticia spontaneously gives birth to a lovely, beautiful baby boy, despite not being pregnant that morning. She names this baby Klaus. Somehow, in some way, it makes everything right.





	1. Birth

**Author's Note:**

On October 1st, 1989, Morticia spontaneously gives birth to a lovely, beautiful baby boy, despite not being pregnant that morning. She names this baby Klaus. Somehow, in some way, it makes everything right.

* * *

When a man comes to buy her son, Morticia is not in the least bit surprised, though perhaps she's not nearly as offended as she could be. Her son is, after all, absolutely darling. Who wouldn't want her son? But she declines, because she is an Addams and Addams' stick together. The man, Reginald, presses her at first, seemingly running out of options- apparently, he's some sort of collector of peculiar things- peculiar children included.

Morticia understands his interest in the strange and bizarre, and holds no ill will towards him. Still, an inkling of her hopes for only the best for the ones he _did_ manage to acquire, because when she looks at him she sees he is empty, and not in the delightfully macabre way.

* * *

She's getting discharged from the hospital when she meets Janet.

Janet is young, harried, looking to be on the verge of tears. Swaddled in her arms is a chubby little baby, and she stares at him, adoring, but terrified, unsure of what to do. Upon conversing with her, Janet reveals she is nineteen, and still living with her parents, who were extremely unhappy to hear the news of her son's birth. They didn't believe her when she called them and said she was never pregnant that morning. Janet is a law student, has no money or ability to care for her son. Her parents want her to get rid of him as soon as possible.

She tells Morticia that she's met Reginald, and refused his offer to take her son. She, like Morticia, did not like the look in his eyes, the inflection in his voice as he spoke to her about her baby. Like he wasn't real, like he wasn't there. But Reginald is already speaking to her parents, who decide Janet will either give up her son or raise him on the streets. They will not allow any daughter of theirs to become a mother whilst unmarried.

Morticia sees the fear in Janet's eyes, and makes an offer.

Janet looks ready to refuse, worried Morticia would be just like Reginald, just as empty, but for the first time she takes notice of the little bundle in Morticia's arms. "What's his name?" Janet asks, voice breathy and distant.

"Klaus," Morticia tells her proudly. "He was born a couple days ago, October first. Quite a delightful time, October. The month of Samhain." Janet's eyes widen.

"I- him too, my son. He was born October first." Morticia's eyebrows raise. What a lovely coincidence, she thinks, and after further conversation, Janet decides Morticia would be a good mother to her son, who's so little and perfect and beautiful, who deserves better than Janet could ever give him.

"Has he a name yet?" Morticia asks, leaning in to take a look at the sleeping child. Janet shakes her head.

"Not yet, but I was thinking maybe Benjamin? It was my grandpa's name." Morticia hums at this, before suggesting Benedict. Janet's brows furrow, but she really sees no reason to say no. Morticia will be his mother from now on, no matter how much it hurts Janet to think of giving her little boy up. Still, her parents will be here soon, and she wants Ben to be somewhere safe and far, far away before they can get to him.

When Morticia and her husband leave the hospital, they come out with two sons, rather than one.

She makes eye contact with Reginald on the way out, whose eyes are narrowed and looks to be seething. Once more, she wishes the best for those children.

* * *

"It's an Addams!" Gomez cries proudly, and really, he _should_ be proud, because never had there been a more Addams baby. Their dear Klaus, with pale skin and dark hair and eyes, is the perfect Addams.

Wednesday, on the other hand, is absolutely unhappy to find out she's now the older sister to  _two_ menaces rather than just one.

To hear her mother was pregnant with one was already bad enough, but upon seeing Morticia return with double the swathes of evil, Wednesday decides something must be done.

And so, Wednesday, a solid three years old, determines that both brothers must be killed.

* * *

Wednesday cannot kill her brothers.

She tried of course, with all her three-year-old might, but alas it was not to be. They're unfortunately sturdy little things, and oddly lucky, which Wednesday hates. Even the combined powers of herself and Pugsley are no match, and yet she's not about to admit defeat.

Ripping off the tarp from her guillotine, Wednesday instructs Pugsley to grab Benedict and bring him to her. They hold a mock trial for the beast, in which he pleads guilty by his own admission, and they settle him in the guillotine. And yet, when the blade falls, it's stopped by a thick, black tentacle, which smacks it away and unhinges it from the wooden structure. Benedict continues to babble and coo as the tentacle slithers back into its home, right in his gut.

Wednesday decides right then and there that Benedict could be spared. After all, it wasn't every day that someone was born with the ability to summon Eldritch horrors from their innards.

For now, she will break the exciting news to her parents.

* * *

When Klaus begins reacting to thin air, Wednesday hopes it's because he has schizophrenia, like their great grandfather. However, the family finds out the answer is even better. Klaus can actually see and communicate with the dead, something his parents are incredibly proud of. He was proving to be more and more of an Addams every day!

And Ben, small, unassuming Ben, who everyone was slightly worried about (to find the Addams character in one not of their blood was very rare), surprises them as well by accidentally summoning an Eldritch horror from the deep. Their family, Morticia decides, is coming together very, very nicely.

Though, something that definitely concerns them is their new neighbors, who despite not having done anything in particular to offend the Addams family, are most definitely people to keep an eye on. Or, more specifically, the patriarch of the large family, one Sir Reginald Hargreeves. It seems to Morticia a bit too coincidental that he'd suddenly arrived with seven (unfortunate) children in tow, giving a bit too meaningful of a glance at the Addams' manor as the movers unloaded their boxes and such.

Still, Addams' are nothing if not accepting, and so they genuinely hope their new neighbors will settle in and get along with them finely in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay listen I know it's short but it's been sitting in my drafts so I needed to get this out there before it got deleted, I promise the rest of the chapters will be longer!


	2. Fireflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus has always been fascinated with fireflies, blinking little lights of wonder that seem to promise the world. When he sees the little boy with scraped knees and a guarded stare, he decides he wants him to see their wonder, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SCHOOL'S OUT BITCHES  
> I CAN WRITE MORE OFTEN NOW :DDD The second I got home I literally hopped on here and started frantically writing in celebration.

Klaus creeps through the halls as quietly as he can. Just as he's about to turn the corner, he looks to his great-grandmother Belladonna and whispers, "Are you sure he's here?"

She nods enthusiastically. Klaus, encouraged by this, proceeds to round the corner. He makes it to the large window, turning back to Belladonna and silently counting to three before finally ripping the curtains open.

"Gotcha!" He yells. Ben groans, unfurling himself from the fetal position and dusting off his pants.

"How do you keep finding me?" 

Klaus giggles as he helps his brother up. "Great-granny is really good at finding people." Klaus shares a conspiratorial grin with the woman, and Ben pouts.

"No fair," he whines, "using ghosts to help you win is cheating! They can phase through solid objects!"

Klaus sticks his tongue out at his brother. "It's not cheating, it's thinking outside the box. I'm just smart."

Ben scoffs, hands crossed over his chest. "You're  _lazy_ is what you are."

Klaus waves his hand dismissively. "Details, details," he says, before throwing an arm around Ben's shoulders and leading him downstairs.

"Anyway, let's go outside. I wanna catch some fireflies before dinner time!"

* * *

Klaus laughs as he chases the fireflies around the backyard. "You know, you'd probably catch more if you'd just use a jar or a net." Ben is perched on the porch swing their parents had bought almost exclusively for him, legs crossed like the mannerly little fourth-grader he is. The sun has yet to fully set, the summer season loathing to let go of its rays even as time trickled into the evening hours.

"Yeah, and then take all the fun out of it," Klaus retorts. He manages to snatch one, clasping his hands over it and running over to Ben and his jar. "Look, I got one!" He shoves his cupped hands in Ben's face, just barely cracking them open enough to show his brother the blinking little light between his fingers.

"I have no clue what's so fun about running around tirelessly and getting sweaty just to catch a single bug or two and let it go three minutes later. But whatever makes you happy," Ben tells him flippantly. He grabs the jar beside him and opens it so Klaus can put the firefly in and catch some more.

The lid is perforated this time, unlike when they were six and Klaus just put the bugs in the nearest mason jar he could find. Wednesday didn't mind when all the fireflies started dying from lack of oxygen, but Klaus certainly did. He'd cried, and Wednesday poked fun at him until he cried harder, at which point she attempted to make amends by telling him that this way, the ghost fireflies would light up the night for him all year round. He didn't seem to mind so much after that, but everyone still thought it best to keep the fireflies from dying around Klaus ever since then.

Ben doesn't actually know if there are ghost bugs, but Klaus never said anything about it, so he assumes they don't exist.

The boy is snapped from his musings when Klaus asks, "Hey, who's that?" He looks in the direction his brother's pointing in, to see a boy about their age. The kid examines his surroundings in confusion, still and unmoving just behind the treeline that borders their backyard. The stranger makes eye contact with them, visibly startling and turning to leave.

"Hey, wait up!" Klaus calls, running to meet them. Ben follows Klaus closely, curiosity piqued. They'd never met anybody their age in the neighborhood before. In fact, the only kids that live there are the ones next door, who are hardly outside long enough for anyone to even know what they look like. Hell, sometimes Ben forgets that they even have neighbors what with how rarely they see them.

The boy stops and turns to face them again as they catch up. Up close, Ben is able to make out his appearance- tan skin, messy black hair, and big brown eyes. He looks between the two brothers warily, which Ben finds odd, considering _he's_ the one that popped up on _their_ property.

"Who're you?" Klaus asks, not one for tact. The boy instinctively straightens, jaw jutting out and squaring his shoulders as if that made him cool or intimidating.

"I-I'm Number Two," Number Two says, tone sounding kind of like those soldiers in the military movie Ben watched once. Klaus quirks a brow.

"Number Two? At what?" Number Two's face goes blank, as if unsure how to respond.

"What?"

Ben tilts his head. "Is that your name?" Number Two nods slowly, brows furrowed.

"Huh," Klaus says, then shrugs. He's heard weirder names- his sister is named after a day of the week, and to be honest, he's not even the slightest bit sure what a Pugsley is. "Okay. So, then, what are you doing here?" This seems to remind Number Two of something, as he scowls and clenches his fists.

"I needed to get away from my stupid brother," he spits, glaring at the dirt as if it'd done something to personally offend him. "And I'm sick of being stuck in the house."

"Are you our neighbor?" Ben points to the forest in the general direction of the Hargreeves estate. Number Two nods. "Hmm," he muses, then shares a look with Klaus. He gives the medium a shrug, and the curly-haired boy claps his hands together.

"Alright. Do you wanna play with us til you have to go home?" Number Two is visibly shocked by this sudden turn of events, but also isn't keen on returning before he absolutely has to.

"Okay. How do we play?" If Klaus was even remotely phased by the wording, he didn't let it show.

"Today, we're going to catch fireflies, and then put them in the jar. Usually we'd play guillotine or something, but Wednesday's hogging it and we were already trying to collect some earlier. Oh! Thanks for reminding me!" Klaus smiles up at thin air, confusing Number Two, before turning back to their guest. "I'm Klaus, and this is my brother Ben. It's very nice to meet you!" He continues to lead their new friend back to the firefly jar.

"Um, okay." Number Two doesn't know what else to say, which doesn't bother Klaus in the slightest, since he has the innate ability to hold a completely one-sided conversation. "How d-do we catch... fire-y flies?"

"It's very simple. You find one, then you chase after it, and then you cup it in your hands! And then Benny here will open the jar and you'll put it in as fast as you can to keep the other fireflies from escaping!"

They spend the next hour chasing the bugs around and putting them in the jar. It's very obvious to Ben that Number Two has likely never so much as heard of fireflies before, let alone caught any, as he takes a while to distinguish fireflies from every other bug he finds, and even longer to successfully catch one without squishing and killing it.

Eventually, they decide to move onto some other games, like Witch Doctor and tag. Klaus makes it a point to tell Number Two that he likes Witch Doctor the best, because their land is full of things they can put in any number of potions and the like.

"Why _is_ your yard full of weird stuff, anyway?" Number Two asks them. "Almost everything in it is ei-either dead or some kind of poison."

"Because they're horrific," Ben tells him. "And mother loves the dreadful side of things." Klaus nods enthusiastically.

"It's a family thing," he tells Number Two proudly. "We all have a fondness for the frightful. They're actually quite lovely." He shows Number Two their mother's flowers closer to the front of the yard.

"These are her best. They come out the prettiest every year. Their scientific name is Convallaria majalis, but most people call them Lily of the valley or May Bells. And then these are her Mountain-laurels, or Kalmia latifolia, and her Hemlocks- Conium maculatum. They're not as pretty as the May Bells or the Mountain-laurels, but just as deadly. But Oleander and Belladonna are _way_ more poisonous- they're over there- and they look absolutely lovely during full bloom. I like Oleander's colors the best, but Belladonna just sounds so beautiful. That's probably why my great grandmother was named Belladonna, it's much more fitting than Oleander or Hemlock, though I suppose Laurel could've worked."

"You sure know a lot about this stuff," Number Two says, voice wavering somewhere in the midst of amused, wary, and awed. Klaus preens.

"Yes, of course! I want to work with these too one day, and mother will only let me if I know what I'm doing." Poisonous plants are probably the only thing Klaus will ever willingly study. Ben knows that by now, Klaus has already finished almost all of the toxicology and plant-related books they have in their family library, which is honestly a lot. Mother was very proud to hear that her son is so fascinated with poisons, and has taken to buying him books at nearly every opportunity.

Ben, who is a regular to the family library, finds this beneficial as well, because there can never be enough books. However, he makes sure to regularly request other things as well, since he doesn't find poisons nearly as interesting as Klaus does. They aren't quite old enough to understand some of the older texts the library has yet, but their parents are somehow always able to find books that were an easy enough read for nine-year-olds to understand. He's fairly certain it has something to do with a great uncle of theirs who writes books- he's seen some of his works, like  _Guillotine Assembly and Care for Kids_ and _The Art of Strangulation, Beginners' Edition._

"How poisonous are most of these, anyway?"

"Very. They can cause all sorts of things, from as minor as a stomachache to dysentery to death."

"What's dys-dysent-tery?"

"Bloody diarrhea and inflamed intestines," Ben pipes up. "It's an extremely painful infection, and you can die from it if left untreated." Number Two is now thoroughly disturbed, and Ben can't help but smile as the boy inches away from the plants.

"Don't worry, you won't die just from touching them. Mother doesn't grow any contact-poisons. You'd have to get them in your body for it to hurt you." Klaus blinks. "Ben, do you think feeding them to Cthulhu would kill it?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think it even eats. If it does, it's probably getting its food through me, which means we share a stomach and I would also die." Klaus pouts.

"That's a shame," he says. "It would be awesome if Cthulhu was immune to everything."

"What?" Number Two couldn't seem to decide which person he wanted to ask, because he keeps looking between the two of them incredulously. "What's a Cth-c-clu- what is that? Why is it part of your stomach?"

"I have tentacles that live in my stomach, and everyone calls it Cthulhu like the Eldritch horror." It's only after he says this that Ben wonders if it's perhaps too soon to mention something like this. After all, while his family doesn't mind his extra passenger in the slightest, it doesn't take a genius to see that the Addams family is far from the norm. None of the kids at school are comfortable with his abnormality, as most of them are either afraid of him or simply don't believe that he actually has a bundle of tentacles hiding in his abdomen.

"Huh," Number Two says. "That's kind of weird."

"You don't seem very surprised."

"I mean, that's definitely different, but one of my brothers can teleport, and I don't need to breathe, so it's not like you're alone." Klaus' eyes light up at this.

"Does that mean you're like us?"

"If by that you mean if I have powers, then yes."

"Yeah, but like, are you one of the 43 too? A miracle?"

Number Two's brows furrow. "I wouldn't call it a miracle, but yeah, me and my siblings were all born to random ladies on October 1st."

"Of course you're a miracle! That's what mother calls us, at least. Isn't your family happy to have you?" Number Two's face twists with an emotion Ben can't recognize as anything other than anguish. Seeing the boy shrink in on himself, he rushes to change the topic.

"Klaus, why don't we keep playing? We don't have much time before supper."

"Okay! What should we do next?" Klaus tilts his head, seemingly waiting for a response. Just as Number Two opens his mouth, a smile spreads across Klaus' face. "You're absolutely right!" He exclaims suddenly, and then turns to his new friend. "Two, let's play Inquisition!"

Before Number Two can ask what that is, Klaus skips ahead to grab the thin blanket from the porch swing. He turns instead to Ben, and asks, "is he always like this?"

"Depends on what you mean."

"Like, bouncing around and stuff. And talking to thin air." Ben hums.

"Yeah, probably. I mean, it's not like I remember what he was like when we were babies, but as far as I know, he's always been hyper. And he's not talking to thin air."

"Then what _is_ he talking to?"

"Ghosts," Ben tells him quite plainly. If Number Two wasn't surprised by Cthulhu, he shouldn't be surprised by Klaus being a medium either. "He can see and talk to them, and sometimes he can make them visible." What a day that'd been, Ben thinks, recalling the time that Klaus had accidentally summoned a ghost at the dinner table. They were all extremely pleased, but their parents also made sure to make a new rule- no summoning ghosts at the table. However, they followed this up by giving them all cake, which probably wasn't the best way to prevent Klaus from doing something they didn't want him to do.

"A-are they ugly?"

"Sometimes." Ben remembers that the ghost Klaus summoned that first time was covered in blood and screaming. "Klaus thinks it's really funny, usually. As long as they don't try waking him up."

Klaus flounces over to them with the thin blanket now wrapped around his tiny nine-year-old shoulders. "I am King Ferdinand of Spain!" He cries, waving a stick at them. "The Spanish Inquisition is now in order!"

"If you're Ferdinand, where's Isabella?" They usually play this game with Wednesday and Pugsley, as purging heretics was only fun when you weren't sure who was actually a heretic.

"Isabella is on a diplomatic voyage!"

"That's not historically correct."

"Shut up, heathen!" Klaus thwacks Ben with his stick, which Ben swats away half-heartedly.

* * *

They play until the sun finally begins to set, and Morticia comes to summon her sons for dinner.

"Boys, supper will be ready soon. I'm afraid you'll have to retire for today and wash up in time to eat." Klaus sighs dramatically.

"Coming Mother!" Both boys say as one. They look at their friend somewhat regretfully. "I guess you'll have to go then," Ben says, "before your family comes looking for you."

"But we can play again soon, right?" Klaus' eyes are wide and hopeful, making Number Two lean away awkwardly.

"Uh, we'll-we'll see. I'm not usually allowed out, but I-I'll try and come back as soon as I can." That was enough for the young medium, who smiles brightly, and pulls the other boy into a sudden hug.

"See you later, Two!" Klaus grabs Ben by the wrist and runs back to the house. Just as Number Two turns to leave, he hears the curly-haired Addams call out to him. "Hey, wait!"

Klaus returns with the jar of fireflies in hand, offering them up to a confused Number Two. "Here, I almost forgot," he says, shoving them closer to the other boy.

"Why?" Number two queries. "I thought y-you wanted those?"

"I can catch them anytime I like. But you're not allowed out a lot, right? I could tell you've never seen these before. So you can take them instead. Though, you'll probably have to release them before you go to bed, or else they'll die." Number Two takes the jar from Klaus, staring at the blinking little lights in wonder. He has to admit, they were really pretty, and it makes him happy that Klaus wants to give them to him. He does feel somewhat embarrassed that he's obviously never seen these things before today- he didn't even know that that wasn't normal until he decided to hop the fence that evening.

Still, he manages a quiet, "thank you," and is kind of amazed to see Klaus' face brighten even more. He doesn't know it yet, but Klaus doesn't have many friends outside of his family. And while the young Addams child doesn't quite mind this, he's still a very social creature (surprising, when comparing him to the likes of his sister), and is always mildly disappointed when people avoid him in school. He definitely has more friends than Wednesday, but it wasn't like she was even trying. She doesn't like friends at all, says they're only good for when you want to stab them in the back dramatically. (Klaus is all for drama, but he still wants friends.)

"No problem," Klaus assures him, before adding, "see you soon." With a lingering smile, he runs back inside where the rest of his family is waiting for him. Number Two stands there for a moment, watching the shadows through the windows of a happy family gathering for a meal. They're loud and full of joy and laughter, something he didn't know belonged at the meal table until this moment, and something in him aches. He shakes it off, knowing his own dinnertime will be starting soon, and runs home.

* * *

"I saw that you seemed to have made a friend," Morticia says at dinner. Her youngest sons nod in unison.

"We found him wandering the perimeter," Ben informs. "Klaus was the one that wanted to talk to him."

"His name is Number Two!" Klaus is proud to have befriended someone his age, especially since this 'Number Two' is actually alive. "He lives next door!"

This causes Gomez to slow in his eating for a second, before resuming his normal pace. "Oh? You mean the house with the large umbrella on the gates?" Ben nods.

"He ran through the woods, and I guess he got a little lost, because he somehow made it to our backyard."

"Number Two is an interesting name," Morticia remarks. "Do you know where he got it?"

"Nope!" Klaus pops the 'p' and shoves another piece of chicken in his mouth.

Gomez and Morticia share a look. It's not to say that they don't like the Hargreeves, necessarily, or even that they don't want their children speaking to them- they're quite pleased to hear that their sons are making friends. However, they both know full well that Reginald Hargreeves is not the safest of men, and while the naming could simply mean the man was fond of numbers, the couple is sure that it means something far different.

Still, this is just a bit of a hunch, one that their Grandmama doesn't seem to pick up on, since she's still giving Pugsley a bit of a hard time about the mess he's been making at the table so far. So they decide to just take quiet note of this fact and leave the matter be.

"I'm very glad to hear you're getting along with the other children in the neighborhood," Gomez flashes a kind smile at his sons, who smile back. "Maybe next time you can have them over for dinner." Ben grins, and Klaus lets out a squeal of excitement, his cup vibrating in the slightest. It catches Morticia's eye, but she doesn't bring it up.

"We'll be sure to ask next time," Ben assures his father. They then move on to other topics, and the matter is nearly forgotten.

* * *

Dread coils in Number Two's stomach as he gets closer to his house. His father is probably incredibly unhappy that he ran away- and there's no way he doesn't know, considering the cameras that cover every inch of the place.

Still, he has to return at some point, or face the consequences that would surely be worse if he forces his father to come get him. So he steels himself and knocks on the front door.

Pogo opens it, giving Number Two a look of appraisal (and moderate weariness). He sighs and opens the door wider for Number Two to step inside.

"Welcome home, Mister Two," he greets. Number Two nods.

"Thanks, P-pogo," he murmurs.

"Would you like me to take that for you?" Pogo's hands reach out to the blazer Number Two has balled up in his arms. "If it's dirty, I will see to it that it is washed." Number Two shakes his head. His jar of fireflies is hidden in it, and he's not very keen on the idea of letting anyone see it- he knows there's no way his father will let him keep them if he sees them.

"I'm fine, Pogo, it was just a bit h-hot out. It's summer," the boy points out. Just as Pogo looks as if he's about to say something, someone clears their throat. They turn to find Reginald striding over to them, expression tight.

"Number Two," he begins, and the child tries his best not to shrink in on himself. "Do you have even the slightest idea what time it is?"

"I-i-it," he gulps, feeling even worse when the corners of his father's lips curl downwards at his stutter. He takes a shaky breath and tries again. "I-it's a-almos-t dinner, sir."

"And where, exactly, have you been this whole time?" Number Two opens his mouth and then quickly shuts it, not wanting to tell his father about Klaus and Ben. Was it wrong to already see them as friends, as his little secret? It was something special that he never wanted to share, especially not with his father, as that might ruin things. He doesn't want the magic getting ruined.

Reginald quirks a brow as his son opens his mouth and then closes it once more. "I did not raise a fish, Number Two," he says, as if he raised Number Two at all. Still, the boy knew better than to voice that opinion, lest he never see the light of day again.

"I-I w-w-wandered in-in-into some-someone's backy-ard."

"And you stayed there?" Number Two shifts his hold on his cargo for a moment.

"Y-yes."

"Doing what, exactly?" The jar of fireflies seem to get heavier in his arms.

"Talk-talking. A-about flow-flowers," he adds quickly.

"Flowers."

"T-t-they li-like flowers," Number Two cringes at this, knowing this not only doesn't impress his father, but that he may have just given away his location with this. There were only two houses in this specific area of the neighborhood that have a garden of any sort (especially in the backyard), and only one of them belongs to a family. The other was a very old woman who lived alone with her many stray pets.

"The Addams family, hm?" Those words threaten to squeeze all the hope from Number Two's chest, knowing that he did, in fact, give away his location. "Very well."

What.

Number Two's eyes widen at his father, but he remains silent, knowing better than to ask.

"There are worse places you could've wound up," Reginald decides, before dismissing his son, who wasn't yet shocked enough to pass up the opportunity to leave as soon as possible. "Be sure to clean up, dinner is in thirty minutes and we will not wait for you."

As Number Two retreats, he hears Reginald pose a question to Pogo. "The Addams, they have two sons born October first, do they not?"

"They do, sir. They were why we-"

"Yes," Reginald interrupts his butler. "I know. It is why I have yet to punish Number Two for his behavior today."

Number Two sprints up the stairs, the voices fading behind him. If he'd stayed, he might've heard the rest of the conversation, and maybe it might've changed the way things play out in the future. But he doesn't, and it won't.

Instead, he makes it to his room, hides his jar in his closet, washes his hands and changes his clothes, and goes back down for dinner.

* * *

It's late at night when Number Two finds the courage to take out the fireflies. He double checks the lock on his door, before grabbing the jar and sitting on the window sill.

He watches them for a while, the way they dance, glittering little lights spinning around each other gracefully. He knows they're just bugs, that there's a very plain and boring reason why they light up, and yet he doesn't let that stop his tentative imagination from pulling him into the magic of it. If he just sits back, lets his eyes glaze over as he watches them float, he thinks he sees fairies, fluttering and twirling about. He thinks he sees embers, little sparks of flame that glow and hum with warmth and never die out, birthed by an unknown fire and swirling, flying away into the night sky.

He thinks he sees beauty, or at least something beautiful, with the potential for more as it gleams the way lightning does, flashing in and out, bright and maybe a little mindless, but something to behold. Something that radiates heat, a smoldering bolt that leaves you maybe a little breathless.

He sees hope, maybe because of the day that passed, with the boys with the big eyes and warm smiles and how one of them saw nothing wrong with handing him this piece of wonder, something so small and seemingly mundane, but that fills him with fascination. Something full of magic and beauty, like fairies or glowing embers, that glimmers in the sky like stars and illuminates the night.

And as he thinks this, his heart fills in his chest, expanding until he thinks it's stealing room from his lungs, getting larger and filling with something light and fuzzy until he thinks he just might float away, float like the fireflies, float to the moon. And so he unscrews the cap, a whisper of something like a wish to his ears, and watches as one by one, these shining little lights of hope, sparks that set off fire, escape into the night sky, glittering and gleaming like the twinkling stars.

He's so taken by the beauty of it all that he almost falls forward out the window, his heart aching with the desire to take flight with them, to leave everything behind and become a glowing ember, a shard of lightning, a glimmer of hope.

~~And maybe some tears fall, but Number Two is alone, so who is to tell?~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this turned out a lot more emotional than it was supposed to be, oops? :/  
> Like, it was supposed to be cute and fluffy and lighthearted, but then in came Diego, who wasn't even supposed to be in here for the next two chapters, and now the angst is nearly insurmountable. But hey, it's the Hargreeves, you can only write so much fluff before the angst comes tumbling in. What can you do? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Anyway, I hope it wasn't too dramatic with the last bit, I really don't know where that shit came from, it kinda just happened.


	3. Ritual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because Klaus always wanted to become Peter Pan. (Ben just isn't happy about being Tinkerbell.)

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Even as Ben asks this, he knows what the answer was going to be. His brother is nothing if not inordinately confident in himself and all his hare-brained schemes, even when they were inherently bound to fall apart.

"Absolutely!" Klaus' cheerful statement only serves to confirm Ben's suspicions. "Let's get this started, Benny!" Klaus lays flat on his back as Ben reluctantly continues following the steps of the manual.

"If you die or something, I'm going to tell mother that you did this all by yourself." Ben lights the candles surrounding his brother, careful not to disturb the salt circle's intricate pentagram design. He then lifts the bowl of blood above their heads, murmuring the chant exactly as the book instructs, before dipping his fingers in it and flicking the blood onto his brother's body.

Klaus makes a whining noise of discomfort, and Ben scowls. "Don't complain, this was your idea," he snaps. Klaus pouts in response, but says nothing.

Ben looks over the next step in the book, which says to use the blood to paint sigils into the ground within the salt circle. The remaining blood was to be fed to Klaus, who again whines, but quiets down when Ben reminds him that it was his fault for not fully reading the manual.

"It's your own blood, anyway," Ben remarks.

"It doesn't mean I like the taste." Klaus wrinkles his nose as he tries to ignore the sharp tang of iron in his blood.

"You shouldn't." Before Klaus can say anything in response, Ben continues. "Now lay your head down and stay still. Apparently if we get this wrong you might end up breaking your neck and dying."

"Oh, goody!"

Ben flips the large grimoire to the next page and begins reading the chant aloud, the Latin words forming perfectly on his tongue. Despite being nine years old, Ben takes to his foreign language lessons quite well, going so far as to begin privately studying Latin and Greek.

As Ben's chanting gets louder (as the grimoire instructs), the candle flames suddenly start flickering, a sourceless wind picking up in the room and getting stronger by the second. There is a sudden howling, like banshees in the distance that Ben assumes is likely the ghost from the other side, desperately calling out from beyond the veil. The candles and empty bowl are soon rattling, and out of nowhere Klaus' limp body is being lifted into the air, hovering softly a few centimeters off the ground and steadily rising. Books and nick-knacks levitate around them, a picture frame nearly hitting Ben in the head as it makes its way to the rapidly growing tornado of items spinning around them.

Ben powers through the whole ordeal, secure in the knowledge that whatever happens will be solved swiftly in the typical Addams way. Cthulhu rumbles deep in Ben's chest, its presence a solid assurance that he is safe.

Ben is halfway done with the incantation, his brother a good foot or so in the air, when the windows shatter, the force blowing away some salt and breaking the circle. The fires from the candles become columns of flame, singeing the ceiling before dying out just as quickly. The harsh wind dissipates with a lingering cackle as the shrieking immediately ceases. The household items crash on the hardwood floor.

Klaus laughs breathlessly, and it is only then that Ben realizes he is still floating.

"Wow," Klaus whispers, more to himself than anything else. He turns to Ben, flailing awkwardly in an attempt to get his body to move through the air. "Let's go show mom!"

* * *

Morticia is, as expected, nothing less than proud of her darling Klaus, who never ceases to surprise her day in and day out. Not only were her sons taking the initiative and performing their very first satanic ritual all on their own, but now they've discovered yet another facet of Klaus' abilities.

"This is absolutely marvelous news," she says, a genial smile gracing her lips. "I'm so proud of you, my dears." Klaus beams at her as he swims through the air, still trying to figure out just how to maneuver with less gravity.

"Yes, but do you know how to get down from there?" Wednesday asks, watching Klaus struggle to turn his body around.

"Nope!" Her brother says, far too enthusiastically.

"We're not sure how long it'll last, either. He can't seem to get down," Ben informs them. Morticia still has that tiny little smile on her face.

"Well, that's just fine, isn't it? If the effects are temporary, then we will simply have to wait it out. Otherwise, I'm sure we will find a way to accommodate Klaus' new state of being."

"I propose a medieval ball and chain, preferably around his neck," Wednesday suggests. Ben mulls over her statement.

"That sounds wonderful, but that might only keep his neck down and not the rest of him. I believe it would be best around his waist," he says, observing as Klaus finally seems to get the hang of floating and manages to assume a sitting position in thin air.

"I will never come down!" Klaus crows, hands on his hips. Wordlessly, Ben grips him by the ankle and yanks him down, the other boy letting out a yelp as he's pulled closer to the ground. Immediately after Ben lets go, however, the young medium simply bobs back up to his original spot.

For the remainder of the month, Klaus adjusts to life without being able to touch the ground, taking to levitating like a fish in water.

* * *

"Sir, I do not mean to impose, but I must ask- do you also see the flying child?" Pogo never thought he'd ever have to ask this sort of question, but the levitating boy the Addams' chained to a large iron ball gives Pogo cause for concern. Admittedly, said child is giggling and trying to control the trajectory of his flight, twisting and turning awkwardly as he tries to maneuver in the air. He manages to get stuck upside down, and laughs even harder as the blood rushes to his head. His brother watches him with an odd mix of fascination, exasperation, and adoration from his spot on the cushioned armchair. He says something inaudible, and his floating sibling sticks his tongue out in response.

"Indeed I do, Pogo," Reginald tells his butler. He scrutinizes the boy intensely, hands folded behind his back. "It seems things are developing at a far quicker pace than anticipated." He sounds oddly pleased at this, and continues to stare even once Ben makes eye contact with him, the previously affectionate smile immediately wiping off the boy's face. He says something to Klaus, who wriggles around wildly to see Reginald as well. Ben drags Klaus by the chain towards the backyard and they disappear from view. "However, I know it could be faster and more efficient. If only..."

The man turns from the window, musing quietly to himself until Grace approaches.

"Sir, I would just like to inform you that Number Two, Number Three, and Number Six were all treated in the infirmary today." Part of Grace's programming includes reporting to Reginald any and all trips to the infirmary the children take, as usually it means at least one person was stabbed or otherwise unable to train for the foreseeable future.

"And what was the cause of this?" After all, it wouldn't do if the injuries are due to infighting- and considering two of the subjects involved are numbers Two and Six, this would be the likeliest cause. And infighting must be punished.

Grace's smile tightens just the slightest bit, so minute a change that neither men notice it. "It appears that Number Three and Number Six got into an argument, and Number Three tried to rumor Number Six, causing her to light Number Three's hair on fire in retaliation. Number Three beat out the flames, then attacked Number Six, and their scuffle got Number Two involved when they knocked him over, which turned it into a three-way fight. They were then brought to the infirmary to be treated for the burns, cuts, and fractured wrist. Also, Number Six bit Number Three, so I treated that as well."

Reginald frowns deeper than usual. Must Number Six always be such a terrible nuisance? "Very well. Return to your usual duties." At this dismissal, Grace inclines her head, plastic smile wide as ever as she excuses herself from the room.

* * *

On the way back to their rooms, Number Two grumbles under his breath things along the lines of 'stupid sisters' and their inherent ability to 'drag innocent bystanders into their dumb fights'. A few steps ahead of him, Six groans.

"Will you just get over it already?" She snaps. "It's not like it was on purpose."

"Get over it? You dragged me into your stupid cat fight and _this_ one," he points to Number Three, who scoffs, "almost clawed my eyes out!" It isn't as if Two particularly dislikes Six- in fact, most of the time they get along fairly well, bonding over their mutual dislike of One (and usually, by extension Three) as well as their enjoyment of a decent fight. However, the appreciation for throwing punches doesn't extend to fighting each other, and unfortunately for Two, Six is fair in the way that she will indiscriminately scrap with anyone.

Probably the only siblings she's never fought are Four and Seven, but that's likely because Seven is too scared to so much as look people in the eyes, let alone irritate Six, and Four is, well, Four.

No one fights Four.

"Like I said, it was an accident." Six looks ready to set him on fire, but then, she's always ready to do that anyways. "So just let it go."

"Girls are dumb," Two complains, then yelps as his shirt lights aflame, batting it out quickly. Ahead of them, Three sighs in an incredibly put-upon manner, and Two thinks he's never met a bigger hypocrite in his life.

"What, you think you're better than us or something?" Two snaps.

"I haven't said anything," Three sniffs, causing Two's eyes to narrow.

"Yeah, but you're thinking it. You always think you're better." Six groans, knowing what's going to come next.

"Well, I'm not the one starting the fight."

"Is that why Six set your hair on fire? Because you were minding your own business?" His sister turns around to face him, meeting his glare with her own. Before she can say anything, however, Six butts in.

"Hey, can you guys kill each other tomorrow or something? Because I'm pretty sure we already tried that, like, an hour ago, and fighting more than once in a day might make Reginald decide to throw us down a flight of stairs or something, and I actually like my bones being intact."

Three scowls, before snapping, "It's not my problem, anyway," and storming away. Six rolls her eyes and picks up her own pace, disappearing down the hall.

* * *

"Mother, Father, how do you tell if someone is a pedophile?" Perhaps this isn't the best thing to say immediately after entering your home, but it's certainly the first and most important thing on Ben's mind upon stepping inside. His parents look at each other with unreadable expressions, before turning to him.

"What's that?" Klaus asks, and it's then that Ben remembers that he's still dragging his brother by the chain like a human balloon. He hands his brother off to their butler, before turning his attention back to his parents.

"What has spurred this on, my dear?" Morticia asks, in a tone Ben has never heard from her.

"While we were outside on the front lawn, an old man kept staring at us through his window. He was quite shameless about it, actually. I made eye contact and he just stared back, though mostly he was watching Klaus. He didn't seem very surprised about Klaus' new predicament, but his expression did seem very strange."

"This wouldn't happen to be anyone we know, would it? What did he look like?" Gomez moves to gently rest his hand on Ben's arm, intently watching his son's facial expressions.

"He was bald, mostly, and had a white mustache, and was wearing a monocle, I think," Ben recounts steadily. He frowns. "I'm pretty sure he was also standing next to a monkey. But it was very short, and could barely seem to look out the window, so I'm not entirely sure." Gomez nods steadily.

"Which home was he in?" Morticia's sudden question brings the attention to her. Her eyes are narrowed in the way that means she's cataloging which poison herbs are ready for use in her garden.

"The one next door," Ben tells her. "Two's place." Gomez's grip tightens fractionally, not wanting to squeeze too hard, and again the two Addams parents lock eyes. They're silently communicating, and Ben idly wonders if he'll ever meet someone who understands him the way his parents understand each other.

"Well, I'm sure he was just intrigued- after all, it's quite rare to see two young boys as darling as you and your brother," Morticia finally says, lips quirking just the slightest bit. "Still, I'm proud of you for coming to us with this. Let us know if something like this happens again, yes? And I think it best to take someone with you when you go outside from now on. Like Lurch, or Grandmama, just to watch you two." Ben, the most obedient of the Addams children, nods dutifully.

Gomez gives his son a kiss on the forehead and one last smile, before sending him off to do whatever he wishes upstairs. "I knew it," he says, once Ben is out of earshot. "I absolutely knew it. Oh, cara mia, he's after our sons!"

"I know, mon cher, but there is no need for worry. We will handle this in the usual Addams way. Reginald will not so much as touch a single hair."

* * *

Klaus is rifling through his clothes when the door swings open, revealing his older sister.

"Oh? Am I interrupting something?" Wednesday cocks a brow, her monotonous tone still somehow managing to convey her curiosity. She eyes the feather boa carelessly hung over one shoulder.

"Not at all," Klaus says flippantly. "Was there something you wanted, or are you just here to see me?" He hears the door shut behind him, and Wednesday taking a seat on his bed.

"Mother and Father have been speaking about Reginald." Klaus frowns and turns to face her, seeming to think deeply about it for a minute.

"Who?"

"The one Ben says he saw watching you two." Klaus' eyes widen dramatically in surprise.

"Oh, you mean the Monopoly man?" Klaus turns to Agatha, a ghost who has long since learned not to scream at Klaus. "I didn't know that was his name!" Agatha shrugs helplessly.

"Monopoly man?" Wednesday asks. Klaus shrugs the way Agatha did.

"Or Mr. Peanut, whichever you prefer. But yes, he's a bald old white man with a suit and a monocle, and I'm pretty sure he used a walking stick at least once, so I'd say he makes quite the Monopoly man."

"So it's true? He watched you two?"

"I guess so, but I'm not surprised. I'm quite adorable, I must say, and besides that I'm now too good for gravity, which I'm sure is what caught his eyes." Wednesday flawlessly ignores Klaus' propensity for being himself with all the skill and ease of an experienced sibling.

"Well, if he tries to approach you again, go for the kneecaps. He'll never see it coming." She hands him her surgical scalpels, silver and well-polished in their case. He stares at them reverently, before thanking her profusely.

"I probably can't aim for kneecaps anymore, but I'll at least try the eyes. You and I both know that's my favorite." Wednesday nods sagely at this, and Klaus thanks her again before she leaves. She would probably give Ben something too, if he didn't already have a personal bodyguard in the form of Cthulhu. Still, she drops in to speak to him, offering to help him make the most explosive combinations possible with the chemistry kit he got from their father the week before.

* * *

It's late at night when Two hears an odd tapping on his window. At first, he dismisses it as a tree branch or perhaps a bug. He rolls over in bed and buries himself further into the pillows, until the tapping intensifies, and soon there's a figure blocking the moonlight, casting a large shadow over his entire room. Two sits upright, mind still far too hazy to truly be alarmed and instead only mildly irritated. He turns around to face the issue, only to be met head-on with what looked like Satan himself plastered against his window, breathing heavily onto the glass and whispering his name repeatedly.

On instinct, Number Two snatches the daggers he left under his pillow and throws them at the window in quick succession. The figure yelps and backs away as the glass shatters, and it's only then that Two realizes that it's a person- in fact, a very familiar person.

"K-Klaus?" He says incredulously.

"Dick move, Two," and, yeah, that's definitely Klaus, which Two isn't sure is a good or bad thing.

"W-what the hell, Klaus? What're you d-doing here? How- how'd you even get up to this floor?" He runs over to the shattered window, noticing that Klaus is only half-heartedly clutching the brick wall.

"Don't worry about it," Klaus says flippantly, "Benny's got me covered." He shows Two a rope tied around his waist, and Two leans a bit out the window to see the rope lead all the way to the ground, where a tiny figure stands holding it.

"How is that supposed to help?"

"It's to keep me from floating away, of course!" Two loves his friend, truly, he does, but it's times like this that utterly convinces him that Klaus is insane. Of course, it isn't like there were too many of those moments in the first place, considering how he's only seen Klaus once when Two broke into his backyard. It's been at least two months since then, and Two hasn't been able to have more than thirty minutes of free time at once, let alone a whole afternoon to run off and play again. As time goes on, Two is given less and less free time, which wasn't much to begin with.

"You still haven't t-t-told me why you're h-here."

"Isn't it obvious? Benny and I wanted to see you! Though, Benny keeps telling me we should just wait for you to come over, but that's dumb and boring! Who needs to wait when I can just come on over?"

"You can't, though. My d-d-dad won't want visitors, and there's cameras all over this place. H-he probably already has footage of you guys c-coming over here and t-talking to me. I might get in trou-trouble!"

It's then that Klaus' expression changes, morphing into something serious. It's so unfamiliar that it makes Two nervous. "About that," Klaus says, "what's your dad like? Is he- are you okay here?" It's a question Two's never dreamed of having to answer before, and he isn't sure what the odd feeling that settles in his gut means, but he's sure it's that he can't answer honestly. That he shouldn't, even though he doesn't understand why.

"What- what do you mean?" Klaus contemplates for a moment, searching for something on Two's face that Two's unsure Klaus will find.

Finally, he says, "Are the cameras aimed to see the windows?" It takes Two a moment to think about this, bewildered by the derailment of the line of conversation.

"Um, maybe? I don't think so. Mostly it's aimed at my bed, I think, but I'm n-not allowed into the office so I've never seen any of it." Klaus hums thoughtfully, accepting the answer.

"Well, my dear Two, that is plenty good news. It just means that I'll have to stay out here, is all." Two never gets to ask if Klaus' arms can handle all of that weight, since Klaus steamrolls right over his concern. "Anyway, as I was saying, how prone to staring at small, adorable, perfect young children is your dear old dad? Is that a hobby of his? Or is it only for the most loveable of kids?"

"Um, I don't know?" It's phrased more as a question, though honestly it might as well be with how confusing the questions are. "He usually only pays attention to me and my siblings if we're training. Or in trouble." Klaus hums again at this.

"Is he," Klaus pauses, "is he good? To you? Does he ever get close, physically?" Two's brows furrow, not expecting the conversation to go this route.

"Not really, I don't think he likes contact. He's pat O-one's shoulder once or twice, and he s-slapped Six for setting a house plant on fire when we were seven." Two's not sure if Klaus is satisfied with the answer, but the Addams child can tell that Two's close to his sharing limit for the day. He quickly changes his tune, delivering the line with a bright smile.

"Alrighty, then! That's good to hear, I guess, though it sucks that he doesn't know what hugs are. Anyway, now that I've defeated gravity, I should be able to see you more often! Though I can't come all the time, since I need my beauty sleep. You don't become this gorgeous without some effort! Don't want the extra moonlight to make me look anything less than close to death."

Two ignores the eccentricity in favor of enjoying his time with Klaus, until about forty minutes later when Ben calls from the ground below them. "Klaus, we gotta go! We've been out too long." Ben tugs on the rope for emphasis, and Klaus sighs dramatically.

"Well, I suppose that means I must take my leave," he says forlornly. "I will see you soon, my dear. Our love shall not be forgotten!" He cries dramatically. Or as much as he can, given he's still trying to be as quiet as possible. Two rolls his eyes at his friend's antics- it should've made him uncomfortable, being who he is, but Klaus is such an exuberant character that Two is simply nothing more than exasperated by him, despite it being their second encounter. Klaus puts the back of his hand on his forehead in a caricature of a swoon, and as if on cue, Ben yanks on the rope as hard as he can, causing Klaus to lose his grip and disappear from sight.

Two's heart threatens to leap out of his chest, too terrified to even cry out as he moves to look out the window. Any previous doubts Two had on Klaus' sanity flies out the window with Klaus when he sees his friend suddenly stop in his descent to the earth, body suspended in mid air. Even from so far away, he can hear Klaus' giggle, and Ben hissing something to his brother angrily. He smiles softly at this, the same soft, unnameable thing from the time they first met filling and expanding in his chest in the way it did with the fireflies.

He thinks those two will never stop making him feel like this, like the world is full of wonder for him, if he could only be allowed to grasp it. He hopes they never stop making him feel like this. Two waves at them as they leave, Klaus still floating and Ben leading him home with the rope, like a human balloon. They wave back with differing amounts of enthusiasm, and it's only then that Two remembers, as he moves to close the window, that he'd shattered it upon seeing Klaus outside.

And yet, instead of contemplating his death, Two, feeling far too light on the inside from seeing his only friends, settles back under the covers and sleeps. He can't wait for them to visit again, the start of this new nightly ritual sparking anticipation and joy inside him, awaiting the next time they greet him at the window. He drifts off into sleep, guided by promises of company and hope into dreams filled with wonder and two special, wide-eyed boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if you couldn't tell, the new Number Six is Charlie from Firestarter by Stephen King. You don't need to know the story to understand this fic, because tbh I haven't read it either I just think this is better than adding an OC. Also, for those of you who were expecting Matilda, I'm very sorry, because I've decided to use a completely different character since Klaus is already going to have the telekinetic thing down pat. You might need to know a tiny bit about the video game (Fran Bow) to understand Fran, but I'll try my best to make it make as much sense as possible in this fic so that you hopefully will understand and enjoy anyways.


	4. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six is Two's favorite sister, the Addams boys are throwing a birthday party, and it's time that the Hargreeves gained the basic human right of having a name.

Much to Klaus' dismay, his inability to remain tethered to the earth only stays for about three more weeks, before the earth sees fit to reclaim him. Fortunately, Klaus learns that he's now able to float whenever he desires, though it's still difficult staying afloat for extended periods of time, as is floating on command. Still, Klaus is glad to know he can still visit Two at night, and is also able to take Ben up to the window sometimes.

His reunion with gravity happens just in time for school, which none of the Addams children are at all enthusiastic about. They all, like every year, beg their parents to home school them, to no avail. The only one who doesn't put up too much of a fight is Ben, who's actually somewhat interested in returning- after all, the schools have science labs, which means he can practice on all sorts of experiments for free. Soon after, October rolls around. October, of course, is the Addams family's favorite month of the year. Not only is it the month of Halloween, but it's also the birth month of their special little boys.

"So, are you guys gonna celebrate your birthday?" Klaus asks this to Two one afternoon. Two, having snuck out of his house just a few minutes earlier, is lounging about with his friends in Klaus' room.

"I guess," Two says, shrugging. "I d-don't see what the big deal is, th-though." Klaus sits up incredulously, looking at his friend. From his perch on the armchair, Ben sighs, knowing Two is going to end up regretting those words.

"What do you mean, 'it's no big deal'?!" Klaus squishes Two's cheeks with his hands, eliciting sounds of protest from Two. The Addams boy ignores this in favor of sitting himself on top of the boy and yelling at him. "Two! It's the absolute biggest and most important deal in the world! In history!" Two continues to squirm and swat at Klaus' arms, but the boy remains determined.

"G 'rf mr," Two says, desperately flailing his arms as Klaus all but throttles him.

"The situation is worse than I thought," Klaus tells Ben gravely. "It's time we take matters into our own hands." Ben sighs, closing his book.

"That's all fine and well, but I'm fairly certain that he has to be alive in order for any of this to matter." Klaus looks down to find Two's flailing getting weaker. He gasps and releases his friend.

"You're lucky I c-c-can't _choke_ to death," he snaps, glaring at Klaus viciously. The medium merely sends him a cheeky smile.

"No, you're lucky, because it means I can't kill you for saying birthdays aren't important."

Two sighs. "I still don't understand what you're freaking out about. So w-what if it's a birthday? It's just there as a y-yearly reminder of how old you are, n-n-not much else." Klaus gasps, then turns to Ben.

"Do you hear this, Benny? It's like he's never had a birthday party before! The travesty!" Klaus wails. He lays the back of his hand on his forehead, posing like one of those distressed damsels in all the old, terrible movies Wednesday found and tortured them with. "What is he going to say now, that he's never known the joys of birthday feasts, or selfishly hoarding masses of presents?"

Ben, who only wants to go back to his book, patiently tells his brother, "Klaus, I think that's exactly what he's saying. His dad sucks, remember?" Klaus blinked, face blank in the realization that, yes, Reginald Hargreeves is a shit father and Klaus should never expect anything much from him.

"Huh," he says, quite profoundly, and Two shifts uncomfortably. "I never thought that he'd refuse to throw them a decent birthday party, though. Ooh!" He claps his hands excitedly. "I know, I know! You can come celebrate your birthday with us! We can spend the whole day together!"

"I d-don't know," Two says, shifting uncomfortably. "I don't think I'll have time af-after training." Klaus pouts.

"Aw, c'mon," he whines, "Don't tell me you won't even have fun on your _birthday!_ I've said this before, but your dad's the worst."

Two huffs.

"Look, I'll s-see what I can- can- can do, okay? But I can't make any promises. He's st-still mad about the window." Klaus squeals, completely ignoring the second half of his friend's sentence in favor or tackling him into another hug. Ben sighs for what feels like the nth time that day. He's fairly certain that just because Two doesn't need to breathe, doesn't mean he'll survive getting his throat crushed. Unfortunately for their friend, it doesn't seem like Klaus is going to remember that for a long while.

* * *

"Now that I think about it, w-what were you doing the r-ritual for?" Two asks this in the middle of the night, while Klaus and Ben are visiting him. Klaus has his feet dangling out the window, and Ben has his planted firmly on the windowsill. Ben has become something like a human library for Two, lending him books that Ben finds absolutely crucial for Two to read. He's now caressing one of the books Two recently borrowed from him, a very cherished novel that Ben is glad to have back.

The brothers blink in surprise, recalling the events that led up to the discovery of more of Klaus' powers. Earlier, they'd recounted the events, and mentioned that Ben actually never had the chance to finish the incantation, which originally served a different purpose other than making people float.

"Huh," Klaus muses, "You know, I don't think I remember. Do you remember, Benny?" He asks his brother, who hums lowly as he contemplates the question.

"I believe we were trying to open the gate between the spirit world and the living world, with you as the gateway," he finally says. "Something about... wanting all of your friends to be in the same place?" Klaus' eyes light up at the recollection.

"Oh yeah!" He exclaims. Two gapes.

"What? Why- why would you w-w-ant to do that?" Klaus blinks up at him innocently.

"I wanted you to meet my other friends," he says simply. "I talk to Agatha and Belladonna all the time, but you can't even see them. It's kind of a bummer, y'know? Plus, Henry's especially needy for attention, but I can't spend all my time with him or else I won't have time for you or Benny. It'd be nice if Henry could make some other friends."

Two shakes his head, reminding himself that he shouldn't be so surprised. This is Klaus and Ben, after all.

Eventually, it gets late enough that Klaus nearly teeters out the window from sleepiness, which is when they decide to call it a night. Two watches the brothers retreat, his heart never ceasing to get that float-y feeling that comes with every encounter he has with them.

"So, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that they're your friends?" Two freezes at the sound of the voice. He turns around to come face to face with Six, who's leaning casually against the door frame.

"How lo-long have- have you known?" Six hums, clearly amused by the threatening tone he tries to intimidate her with.

"Quite a while. I mean, it's not like you were doing a very good job at hiding it. You've been way more distracted, staring off into space, going off alone, and even staying out of more and more fights. Honestly, you seem to be getting happier." Two blinks. Despite the worry over the fact that he was being so obvious these past few months, something in his chest flutters at the thought that he's been visibly happier. It's true, that Ben and Klaus make him happy, and the thought of his friends somehow distracts him from the situation.

"See? You've got that stupid look on your face that tells me you aren't even listening to a single word I'm saying." Six's lazy drawl is enough to snap him out of his thoughts, and he immediately tenses. She notices this and quirks a brow, trying to fight off a smirk.

"Oh, please. You really think I of all people am interested in snitching to the old man? I don't even like being in the same room as him most days, you think I'd willingly go talk to him?" She scoffed. "As if. If I cared that much, I wouldn't be waiting until now to do something." Two can't help but agree with this statement, knowing that Six is far too impatient and generally apathetic to bother with some kind of long-term scheme to ruin his happiness. "Besides," she murmurs, and something in her tone suddenly sounds a lot more serious. "Four says the shadows are leaving you."

Two pauses, unprepared for this sudden piece of information. Everyone in their house knows better than to dismiss the things that Four says, even when they don't always make sense. Because, however cryptic the words are, they always consist of the complete and absolute truth, and few have prospered from actively denying it.

Two doesn't exactly know what the shadows are, but he knows that Four speaks of them often. She says they're unlike the shadows everyone else see, but that they cling to everyone just like a real shadow. The difference is that the light doesn't get rid of them. She says the only one without one is Grace, and that normal people don't have as many as the Hargreeves do. Four's never said anything about shadows being able to leave, only that you can collect them as time goes on, but Two assumes that if gaining them is bad, then losing them must, by default, be good.

Six seems to think so as well, going by how soft her eyes suddenly are and how she hasn't done anything about his secret friendship til now. "I know the old geezer knows something, but just- just be careful, okay? I won't say anything as long as you promise me that." It's times like this that make Six his favorite, Two thinks, as he promises her the way she asks. She doesn't hang around after that, choosing to slink off into the darkness towards her room.

Two settles into bed, whatever shreds of doubt still left about Klaus and Ben completely dissipating with the knowledge that they make the shadows go away.

* * *

Two ends up not even bothering to ask Reginald for permission to leave.

He tries, on multiple occasions, but finds himself (begrudgingly) chickening out. He knows he can't risk asking, or else it might expose that he's been meeting up with Klaus and Ben for months now. Say what one might about Number Two, but he isn't an idiot. He sees the way Reginald watches the boys like hawks whenever they're outside, no matter what he's doing or what _they're_ doing. And, though this says nothing much considering the lives of the Hargreeves', he knows that this isn't _normal._

Reginald is nearly obsessive with how much he watches the two Addams children, standing by windows and muttering under his breath as he jots down God knows what in that little notebook of his.

Two knows that no matter what kind of reaction an invitation would elicit from his father, it isn't going to be good.

And so he stays quiet about the party, all the way to the very day. He plans to simply slink out of the room and disappear when no one is watching, and it's during this that he honestly believes that being Seven would really benefit him. He's never really been one for stealth, but he hopes that his current skills in it will help him get the job done.

It's while the gift-giving process is winding down that he decides now is his chance to leave. Everyone is finished handing out their handmade items and smuggled things, and Diego is ready to excuse himself to the bathroom where he'll take the chance to leave, when suddenly his Mom steps into the middle of the room and calls them to attention.

"Children," She says, with the same lovely smile she's always had, "your father has decided that since you've all been quite good, and that you're getting older now, you're now ready for something very, very special."

* * *

"Two!" Klaus flings open the door and drags his friend in, grinning widely enough to look just short of terrifying. "You're here! You're really here!" Two gasps for breath as Klaus celebrates his arrival. Ben approaches the duo with concern written all over his face.

"Are you alright?" He asks, resting a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Do you need me to get you something?" Two shakes his head frantically. He stands straight, eyes wide and face a bit flushed.

"G-g-guys," he says, excitement rolling off him in waves, "guys, I h- I have a n-name!" Klaus stops celebrating and stares at him oddly. Two takes his shoulders and shakes them wildly. "I have a name! M-my mom gave me a n- a name!" Ben cuts off his babbling by interjecting.

"Two, slow down. We don't understand what's happening." Two's head whips around to face his other friend, and Ben leans back a little as if to avoid being shaken as well.

"Th-at's just it. It's n-not T-two anymore. I have a name! I'm- I'm not a number! Now I can-" his cheeks pink, stopping for the first time since he started speaking, before finally murmuring, "now I can be like you guys."

The Addams boys stare at him for a moment, before staring at each other, and then finally looking back at Two with matching smiles. They each grab one of Two's hands with their own, causing him to look up from where his gaze is trained on the floor. "Tell us everything," they say in unison, and then drag Two to the living room.

* * *

"-And that's when she c-came up to the mi-mi-middle of the room and t-told everyone that we w-w-were getting names!"

Klaus leans forward in his seat. "So, then, what's _your_ name?"

Two's chest puffs out in pride as he tells them, "I'm Diego."

"Diego," Ben echoes, testing it out on his tongue. He nods, liking the way it sounds.

"Diego," Klaus repeats. "Diego," he says again, with a slightly different tone, as if trying out what it could feel like in different scenarios. He then leaps up from the chair and chants, "Diego, Diego, Diego!" Diego's face starts aching at how widely he's smiling as Klaus drags Ben off his own seat and ropes him into jumping up and down like lunatics. His friends are amazing, Diego thinks, watching as they behave like animals in their own home.

Klaus reaches out to pull his newly-named friend into the mix, and soon they're simply running wild around the living room, squealing and shrieking like the joyful children they have every right to be.

A while later, the trio are sprawled across the floor, when Ben blinks before turning to Klaus and saying, "didn't we have presents to give him?" Klaus gasps and sits up.

"You're absolutely right, Benny! How could we ever forget?" Klaus scrambles to a corner of the room, and it's only then that Diego realizes that there's a large pile of wrapped boxes sitting there. His mind almost doesn't comprehend the sheer amount of boxes, wrapped neatly with monochrome wrapping paper and topped with silver bows. Is that normal?

"No," Ben says, so close to Diego that he almost jumps out of his skin. "I can see it written all over your face- no, most people don't give that many presents. Our family just goes a bit overboard." Diego flushes in embarrassment at being so transparent. First his sister, now Ben? Can everyone see through him that easily?

Klaus returns with the only colorful boxes in the room. The wrappings are mostly vibrant reds and golds, and stick out like a sore thumb in the room as a whole. "We actually had to go buy the wrapping paper just for this occasion, since no one in our family likes anything this bright. But it was worth it, because now the presents look like Gryffindor House!"

Diego frowns. "What's Gryffindor?"

"And that's why you have to read Harry Potter," Ben says.

"Who?"

Ben sighs and simply hands Diego one of the boxes out of the pile. "Just open it," he tells him in the most resigned manner. Diego would be more bashful, but he's too curious (and also touched) by the large pile of presents _just for him_ to be too offended.

* * *

The Addams family watches their youngest two play happily with the boy from the doorway, not even trying to be inconspicuous. They are, after all, too absorbed in each other's company to notice the rest of the family observing them.

They don't want to overwhelm Diego, who actually looks close to tears as it is, but they also want a good look at the child their sons were so taken with. They want to know what kind of child Reginald Hargreeves is capable of raising.

They want to see the extent of the damage Reginald has done.

Eventually, when Diego has opened all of his presents and successfully calmed down, they trickle into the room to officially meet the boy. Wednesday goes first, moving silently until she was a mere few feet away from them. Diego startles a little, surprised by her entrance, but Wednesday sticks out a hand for him to shake.

"Hello, Diego. My brothers have spoken of you quite often. It is wonderful to officially meet you. I am Wednesday." Diego tentatively shakes her hand and murmurs an awkward greeting. As soon as Wednesday steps away, Pugsley comes up just after her.

"I'm Pugsley. Thanks for playing with my brothers, I'm pretty sure Klaus would die of loneliness since he doesn't have other friends." Klaus squawks indignantly as Ben laughs. Morticia and Gomez smile good-naturedly as their children tease each other.

"I know we have seen each other before, but this is the first time we have spoken directly. I am Morticia, dear. My sons are quite fond of you, and you seem to be a rather exceptional child. You are welcome here any time you please." Diego doesn't seem to know what to do with all of the attention, but he doesn't seem to be against it, either. He mumbles a quick thanks, and Morticia smiles genially at him.

* * *

It's later in the evening when Diego finally decides he must return home. Klaus whines the entire time, begging him to stay, while Ben admonishes him, reminding his brother that Diego had his own family to get back to.

"Yeah, but they suck! He tells us about what it's like there all the time! And _besides,_ it's our birthday! All three of us! We should be able to have a sleepover at least."

Surprisingly- or perhaps unsurprisingly, as Klaus has a knack for being both charming and convincing- Diego relents and agrees to stay the night, regardless of how anxious it makes him, wondering how Reginald will react when he realizes Diego won't be coming home tonight.

He focuses instead on having the most fun he's ever had in his entire life. He's always dreamed of being able to live with Klaus and Ben so they could have fun all day long, and today he is able to see what that is like. They try out their new toys and run around the backyard and play all sorts of games in and outside the house. When dinner is ready, Diego sits at the table with them instead of going home, and gets a better idea of what family dinners are actually supposed to be like.

There is lots of conversation, from simple things like how their day was to things like the news and such. No one in the family seems even the slightest bit perturbed by or surprised at Diego's attendance, and it shocks and warms him up inside. This is what he's missing, he thinks, staring at Klaus and Pugsley fighting over the last piece of meat. This is what his family is missing.

When the time comes for them to change into their pajamas, both Klaus and Ben offer to let him borrow some of their own. He goes with Ben's spares, when Klaus suggests he and Diego wear matching pajamas.

"I don't know what's not to like," he huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. "We'd look so cute in matching jammies." Diego wrinkles his nose.

"It's not the matching that's the problem," he explains, "it's the fact that I don't want to wear a dress."

"It's a nightgown, and it feels incredibly freeing," Klaus insists, "it's like wearing a blanket. And besides," he sits upright and strikes a vaguely magazine-inspired pose, "I look absolutely fantastic in this!"

"Of course you do," Diego agrees easily, "but I still don't want to wear a dress." Klaus sighs in the most put-upon manner he can manage, but yields.

"Fine," he says breezily, "have fun with Ben in the button-up universe." As it turns out, Ben's closet is indeed filled to the brim with buttoned _everything._ Any type of clothing he feels comfortable wearing, that just so happens to come with buttons sometimes, exists in his wardrobe, from dress shirts to onesies. Ben pulls out a few and allows Diego to take his pick, though the boy personally chooses to wear a button-up pajama set with a little skull embroidered onto the shirt pocket.

"What is this?" Diego asks, lifting one of them.

"It's one of my favorites," Ben tells him, "it's a skeleton onesie. It's supposed to cover most of your body." In a way, it was like a dress but with pants, Diego decides (as he has yet to learn what a romper is), and chooses this from the lot.

* * *

The sleepover ends up being one of the best nights of Diego's life.

He still can't believe that his father hasn't come to ruin it for him, seeing as he's been missing for the entire day. Perhaps he already knows where Diego is, and simply doesn't care that he's choosing to spend his time this way. In fact, Diego would bet that Reginald knows, since the man is so obsessed with having control over every single aspect of his children's lives that it wouldn't be possible for him to be comfortable not knowing. Diego opts to simply be grateful for whatever the reason, and stop thinking about it as soon as possible. He knows it's silly, but there's a part of him that believes that if he thinks of his father for too long, the man would suddenly appear as if summoned.

Diego doesn't want Reginald to come.

And yet, all those thoughts are swept away by Ben and Klaus, who preoccupy him with movies (something he's never allowed to watch), and video games, and stories, and late-night kitchen raids. And even when they collapse from exhaustion in a messy pile on Klaus' bedroom floor, Diego sleeps the night away without a single thought of Reginald.

When the morning comes, Diego doesn't actually know it at first. Klaus has blackout curtains, meaning the sunlight doesn't wake Diego up like it usually does if the alarm or his mom doesn't for whatever reason. In fact, he only wakes up when Klaus rolls on top of him, which causes him to groan and shove his friend off. Klaus, ever the heavy sleeper, doesn't wake up.

As soon as he sits up, he realizes the absolute disarray the room is in. While it wasn't all that clean when he got there, it definitely didn't look like Halloween and Mardi Gras had a baby that threw up on it. The floor is sort of sticky in some places from the soda Klaus spilled the night before, and there's crumbs from the snacks they snuck up there, and an unusual amount of feathers and beads.

Diego's head is spinning from a combination of sleeping late right after a sugar high and the bruise that's forming from the time that Ben accidentally elbowed him in the head when they were trying to build a fort. For whatever reason, there's glitter everywhere, which Diego only vaguely remembers is probably from the glitter bomb they tried to make with Klaus' craft glitter and Ben's chemistry kit.

He stumbles to his feet, looking to find a clock, only to remember that Klaus doesn't have one in his room, since he's apparently a firm believer of 'not being rushed' and 'getting to things whenever you get to them'. In other words, he's extra and a lazy fuck, but Diego wouldn't have him any other way.

Ben wakes up while Diego is looking for his clothes, fumbling around because the sleep-fog hasn't completely left him yet. "Morning," Ben mumbles, rubbing his eyes. Diego grunts in response.

"Do y-you know where my s-sw-weater vest is?" Ben points underneath the bed, and Diego crawls in to grab it.

"You gonna have breakfast first, or do you just want to head back after you change?" Diego mulls it over in his head. He really, really wants to have breakfast with them, but he doesn't know how long he has until Reginald decides he's over-stayed his welcome. What if missing a meal is what crosses the line? Sure, he missed dinner, but what if the cut-off time is breakfast the next morning?

Before he can reply, he catches a whiff of something cooking downstairs, and his stomach growls as if to respond in his stead. He grins sheepishly at Ben, who chuckles.

"Guess that answers the question," he says, amused, before standing up and stretching. "Alright, well, you should probably change then. I'll get out an extra toothbrush for you." He kicks Klaus awake as he says this, making his brother whine and roll over, muttering things under his breath. Ben kicks Klaus again as Diego steps out of the room, causing the medium to groan and sit up.

* * *

Once they're all dressed and ready, the trio scamper downstairs, in need of a good meal.

Wednesday and Pugsley are setting the table, while Lurch portions out the meals. Breakfast is omelettes, and Diego is practically salivating at the sight of them.

"Oh goody!" Klaus claps his hands in delight and they all settle around the table. Their meal is accompanied by quiet conversation, and Diego is again amazed at the warmth this family shares.

"Diego, dear." Diego's attention is brought to Morticia, Ben and Klaus' mother and perhaps the prettiest person around other than his own mom. She smiles softly at him, somehow making him feel embarrassed for whatever reason. "You're welcome to stay all day, but I am worried about what your father must think. Is there a particular time you must return?"

"I, I don't really know," he confesses, "I've never h-had a s-slee-sleepover before. But I guess a-around 9:30, since that's when tr-aining starts." If the Addams find anything strange with that statement, they don't let it show.

"Very well, then," Morticia smiles kindly at him, and he fights the bashful blush that threatens to bloom on his cheeks. "It's almost 9:15, so if you would like we can have someone walk you back home." Klaus squeals, but before he can volunteer, Morticia turns to him and says, "You must clean your room after breakfast, dear." Her son pouts and whines, but she remains adamant. He turns his puppy dog eyes on his father, who usually crumbles at the sight of them, but he too refuses to let him walk Diego home.

"You have too much to do today, Klaus," he insists. "Perhaps some other time."

"Um, it's fine," Diego says, "I don't need anyone to walk me. We live right next door, so I won't get lost."

"It's not about that," Ben informs him, "Mother and Father say it's just not right to leave a child outside on their own. Even in the backyard, there is at least someone to watch us from the window." Gomez smiles at his son.

"That's right. Even in the neighborhood, things can happen. Children are too precious to leave unprotected."

In the end, Wednesday and Lurch wind up walking him home. They were going to send Lurch on his own, but Wednesday elected herself to go along with them. Throughout the walk, Diego is visibly nervous. He initially planned to simply hop the fence and come in through the back, but it's no longer possible with Lurch and Wednesday around. They reach the front door, having walked in silence, and before anyone can knock, it swings open to reveal Reginald himself. This surprises Diego, as Reginald has never opened the door a single time in the ten years that he's lived with the man. It's always Pogo, or occasionally Grace.

"Number Two," he sneers, looking at him as if he was a particularly disgusting stain on his tablecloth. His eyes flicker down to the bag of presents Diego carries, but he says nothing of it. Diego tries his hardest not to shrink in on himself, knowing his father will only ridicule him more. "I see you've finally decided to grace us with your presence." His gaze drifts over to Wednesday, piercing her with a near-identical glare. Diego watches with something like awe as Wednesday stares Reginald down, not even the slightest bit phased by the man.

"And who is this?" He finally asks, not once looking at his son. Wednesday introduces herself, ignoring the fact that Reginald addressed Diego.

"I am Wednesday Addams," she tells him, "I take it that you are Diego's father?" Despite the introduction, Wednesday does not offer him her hand. Reginald is silent for a moment, picking her apart.

"Indeed, what is the meaning of this?" Wednesday is entirely unperturbed by their silent stare-down, her posture not having faltered a single centimeter.

"It is a simple courtesy call," she says coolly. "After all, your son has spent the night over at our home, so we felt it appropriate to give our greetings. We also decided it is impertinent that we show you who you may be dealing with in the future." Reginald's eyes narrow, and Diego shifts awkwardly from foot to foot.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, make no mistake, this is not a threat. Rather, it is a statement, stating clearly that we recognize your interests and are not in the slightest bit enthused. We implore you to keep your distance in any physical or metaphorical way, and promise any further action on our part will only be in response to any dangerous implications indicated by you or anyone else who may attempt to act in your stead." A flash of anger lights up Reginald's eyes, making Diego want to run. He's never seen his father so angry before.

"How dare you-"

"This is, once again, not a threat, but rather a response to the clear interest you show, and we are preemptively reminding you that we are not, in any way, shape, or form, interested. They are not for sale. There will be no negotiations or bargains, and we will be monitoring very, very closely. That is all. Good day." The entire time, Wednesday's voice and facial expressions remained stable, and once more Diego feels awe and admiration towards her fill him. Truly an Addams girl, she is.

With this, Wednesday bids Diego an almost gentle farewell, reminding him that he is allowed over at any time he wishes, before making her way back to her own home, her butler right behind her. Diego is left standing awkwardly at the door while his father fumes. Eventually, Reginald retreats back into the house, finally allowing Diego inside. He ignores all of his siblings' comments about his absence, even Number One's- now Luther's- jab at him for 'skipping out', save for the small, knowing smile he shares with the newly-dubbed Charlie, formerly Six.


	5. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Addams family takes Halloween to a near-religious level, Klaus believes he's Harry Potter, and Diego becomes Batman for a day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S NOT OCTOBER BUT THAT WON'T STOP ME FROM WRITING THIS OUT, HAPPY HALLOWEEN MOTHERFUCKERS

To say the Addams family is 'enthusiastic' about Halloween would be like saying moths are simply 'fond' of flames.

Halloween is, in Klaus' own words, the bread, butter, water, air, and glitter of their family, and every year they go all out on decorations, food, and all other forms of festivities.

One would wonder what they could possibly do to make their lives more Halloween-themed than ever, considering the nature of their family, but it is also well-known that the Addams family's flair for dramatics and going the extra mile is a dominant trait that runs within them all.

That being said, Klaus and Ben already have their costumes and route picked out by mid August, and have been excited since even before that. They explain this to Diego, who is absolutely bewildered by the thought- how can someone anticipate a holiday to such an extent that they'd prepare so far in advance?

"W-w-wh-at are- are you gon- gon-na be th-th-th-this y-year, then?" Diego asks his friends.

"Harry Potter," Ben tells him simply. He continues working away at what looks like a letter. Diego thinks this makes sense, since Harry Potter is probably Ben's favorite series other than Goosebumps.

"Well, I was deciding between vampire and witch for, like, a really long time, but then I was like, 'why choose, when I can just do both?' And so I did! I'm gonna be a vampire witch!" It takes Diego a minute to fully process what Klaus says. It doesn't really make all that much sense, and yet that in itself is somehow such a Klaus answer that he finds it rather fitting.

"What about you? What do you wanna be, Di?"

Diego frowns at the question. "I- I don't- I'm- I'm n-n-not go-going." Klaus huffs.

"Okay, well, what  _would_ you wear if you  _were_ going?" The heavy emphasis causes Ben to stop writing and stare silently at his brother for a moment. Klaus gives him a look, and Ben goes back to his letter, shaking his head and seemingly giving up on something.

Diego shrugs. "I- I- I don't n-no-know." Klaus hums contemplatively.

"What do you think, Benny?" He asks suddenly.

"Probably a super hero of some kind, he likes the idea of saving the day. DC, because he's too salty about Nick Fury to be an Avenger. So... Batman?"

"Definitely Batman," Klaus agrees. Diego blinks uncomprehendingly.

"W-w-what?"

"You'd make a good Batman. Wanna be Batman?"

"I- I g- I guess."

Klaus yanks the lollipop he's been swirling in his mouth out with a 'pop' and uses it to point at Diego. "It's settled, then. You'll be Batman. Now, let's go downstairs so we can give Grandmama your measurements." He drags Diego out of Ben's room before he's processed the turn of events fast enough to put up a fight.

"You're going trick-or-treating with us this year, because obviously your dad's not responsible enough to make sure you're having fun. So, we're going to do it instead. We'll collect more candy than anybody else!"

At this point, Diego's so used to his friend's antics that he simply quits thinking and says, "Okay."

* * *

Halloween rolls around, and before they know it it's evening and all the children are getting dressed. Klaus puts on his own costume before heading out to get Diego, whose costume is still at their house.

It's only when he's been running for a little too long that Klaus starts to realize he isn't where he should be.

The Hargreeves live next door, so the walk is never long, and requires no twists or turns, and yet Klaus finds himself still wandering around more than five minutes later.

Finally, he stumbles into a clearing. It still isn't the Hargreeves' property, though, and Klaus is starting to get nervous. The ghosts hiss and whisper, and some of them flicker out. The rest swirl around him, restless, and he doesn't know why until he spots a figure crouched in the grass a few feet away.

It's a girl with straight brown hair, from what Klaus can gather. He guesses she's about his age when she stands and he sees she's roughly around his height.

"Hello there," she says suddenly, almost making Klaus jump out of his skin. "Can I help you with something, Klaus?" Klaus blinks, before slowly stepping out of the foliage.

"How do you know my name?"

"I was told," she explains simply.

"By who?"

The girl tilts her head, still not turning to him. "They say you're like me," she says instead. "You see, just like I can. Not as well, but you can."

The girl finally turns to face him, and yet still she isn't truly looking at him. Her eyes are distant and unfocused, as if she is speaking to someone else. Even as she stands still, she sways slightly, as if unable to keep her feet completely anchored to the ground.

"What do you mean?" Klaus is intrigued by her, and yet something about the way the ghosts titter nervously and avoid her makes him uneasy. The girl smiles, dreamy and dazed.

"Exactly as I say," she tells him, in a tone that seems to say that she thinks he's being silly for missing the obvious. "As I always do." She leans down towards a flower, and yet instead of picking it out of the ground, she plucks out a single blade of grass right by it. She twirls it admiringly, and leans in to sniff it as if it were the daisy she left rooted to the earth.

"They're my favorite." The girl looks up at him and smiles again. Klaus is, for the first time, at a complete loss for words. He merely stays there, unable to bring himself to remember where he was going, or that he had any destination in mind at all.

They stay there for a while, the girl humming underneath her breath as she roots through the grass for specific blades and even the odd pebble or two. Suddenly, she speaks up again. "You walk with them like friends, so unlike the ones before. I wonder how far from the roads can we stray? Will things here truly be unlike any other?"

He doesn't know how to respond to this, so he doesn't. Eventually, she rights herself, dusting off her clean skirt but leaving her knees dirty.

"Thank you for keeping me company for this short while. But I do believe that you came here with a goal in mind." It's then that he remembers exactly why he's there, and he immediately scrambles to check his watch. Oddly enough, not even a minute has passed. "You must continue on your way now. Good day, Klaus. And another thing- let's try not to mess up this time." He looks up, a farewell on his lips, only to realize that she is nowhere to be found.

* * *

"Psst! Diego! Diego! Hey!" Diego nearly jumps out of his skin at the hiss coming from the window. He runs over, only to find Klaus clinging to the brick walls. He opens the window with frantic hands. What is Klaus doing here? It's way too early for his usual visits with Ben. For goodness' sake, it's barely evening, meaning the sun is still setting. How is he supposed to hide this? They don't have locks on their doors!

"K-k-kl-Klaus, are- are y- are you in-insane?" The boy in question opens his mouth to interject, but Diego beats him to it. "Don't answer that. But what are you doing here this early? The sun's not even down yet!" 

"We can't wait til sundown! All the fun starts now, Di! Come on!" He grabs Diego's wrist and tugs encouragingly.

"W-where? Wha-at?" Klaus looks at him incredulously.

"What do you think? We're going trick-or-treating!"

"Y-you- you w-w-were se-seri-serious?"

Klaus raises a brow. "Of course I was, what do you mean? You think I'd just joke like that? Di, we've talked about this. We're friends, which means I'm obligated to drag you around everywhere and throw you into questionable situations for the fun of it for the rest of our lives. Now, come on already! You've gotta put on your costume and be completely ready in, like, forty minutes, which isn't nearly enough time!"

With that, Klaus yanks Diego by his wrists out the window. Diego yelps as he becomes victim to gravity, only for Klaus to laugh, since he's still holding onto him.

They float down safely, since Klaus still hasn't completely mastered maneuvering in mid-air, and take off towards the Addams' home.

* * *

When they arrive, the house is filled with commotion as everyone flits about, finalizing preparations. There is the smell of pastries being baked, the sweet aroma causing Diego's stomach to growl despite already eating dinner. Klaus ushers him into his Grandmama's room, which has outfits strewn about it.

"W-wha-what's all- all th-thi-this?"

"The costumes, remember? Grandmama insists on making ours. She always does really well." There's an outfit Diego didn't notice earlier that's hung on a doorknob. Klaus picks it up and presents it to his friend. "Here, this one's yours. It's a little last minute, since we only measured you a few weeks ago, but Grandmama's been working on it all month, so it's still really nice."

'Nice' doesn't even begin to cover it. The costume is all black, save for the bat symbol in the middle, making it obvious that she made him the Batman costume he talked to Klaus about. They even have a mask for him, and though it's store-bought because they only work with fabrics, Diego's still getting a little misty-eyed.

"O-oh," he murmurs, at a loss for words. He shouldn't be surprised anymore, and yet time and time again he's caught off guard by their generosity. Is it really okay for him to accept such nice things?

"Put it on, quick, so we can show Grandmama. I know she's already got pictures of everyone else, so she's gonna want some group photos now too, so we have to get them done soon or we'll start our candy hunt late!" Diego's distracted from his musings by Klaus rushing him into changing.

"Wh-what ab-ab-about you?" Klaus puts a hand on his chest in a mockery of offense.

"Why, Diego, I'm already wearing it!" Diego takes in the outfit, from the pointed lace-up boots to the long-sleeved dress and long cape. They're all black, the official Addams color, save for the striped black-and-white stockings. To be honest, it looks like something Klaus probably already has in his closet, which is probably why Diego didn't think it was his costume. He voices this opinion, which is when Klaus takes the pointed witch hat off the desk and neatly places it on his head.

"I just forgot the hat. Mother already put my fangs in this morning, so all I need now is a wand. So don't worry about me! Just hurry up and get changed!" He shuts the door, leaving Diego to put on his costume.

* * *

Grandmama claps her hands in delight when Diego emerges from her room. "Perfect!" She exclaims. "Fits well, doesn't it?" She flutters around him excitedly, examining the fabric and the way it looks on him.

"It-i-it's real- really n-ice," Diego compliments, before he adds a soft, "than-thank you." Grandmama waves half-heartedly at the thanks.

"No, no, it could've been better, but I'm glad to hear you like it." She pats his cheek. "Such a polite boy." Diego will refuse to admit it later on, but his face heats up at the praise. He ducks his head as if to hide his blush.

"Are you ready for pictures, Grandmama?" It's Pugsley, who is proudly dressed as a very realistic zombie. His grandmother nods enthusiastically and pulls a camera out of seemingly thin air. Diego doesn't know what to do for a moment, until Ben grabs him and stands him between himself and his brother, who is still playing with the wand Ben let him borrow.

After what is probably a million pictures, the children are given their bags and sent on their way with Lurch in tow.

* * *

Klaus skips ahead of the group, swinging his bag and singing somewhat off-key to 'This is Halloween', a song Diego only recognizes from the time Klaus forced him into having a Halloween movie night. No one comments, entirely used to his antics. "How many houses do we have left?" Ben asks.

"We have the cul-de-sac and the ones on the next street over," Wednesday tells him. She checks her watch. "And a little under an hour and a half to do it."

Ben nods in understanding before calling out to his brother. "Klaus, we've got an hour and a half. Also, quit running into the road."

Klaus sticks his tongue out at Ben. "I can do what I want!" And runs ahead of the group. Which is a problem, since they went to a different neighborhood to trick-or-treat (seeing as half their neighbors are retired and sleep at 7:30), meaning none of them know this neighborhood all that well. Ben groans, tired of Klaus' lack of thought, and suddenly a tentacle is bursting from his stomach and reeling Klaus in by the waist.

The boy in question squawks at the disrespect, not taken aback so much as feeling petulant about being told what to do. He's placed gently on the ground next to Ben and then the tentacle retreats, slithering back under the shirt and disappearing. "How rude!" The medium's exclamation goes largely ignored, which makes him pout until Ben shoves a lollipop in his mouth. The bribery works, as he skips beside his siblings in a much more subdued manner, placated for the time being.

Diego snorts, somewhat amused by his friend's predictability and likening the candy to a pacifier. Ben seems to share the thought, as they both stifle chuckles when they make eye contact.

When they begin to circle back, Klaus is swishing his wand in the air haphazardly, pretending to cast spells to make Diego laugh. Diego's arm is somewhat sore from the sheer amount of candy he has in his bag, but if anything he's over the moon about it. Eventually, Klaus starts yelling out the butchered versions of Harry Potter spells, ignoring Ben's corrections.

"Abracadabra! Boom! You're dead!"

"Avada Kedavra," Ben says idly, no longer correcting for more than the simple sake of doing so.

"Oblivate!"

"Obliviate."

"Aloha!"

A roll of eyes. "Alohomora."

"Expellmus!"

"Expelliarmus."

"Expecto Pagoda!"

Ben's eye twitches. "Expecto Patronum."

"Wingy dingy!" He cries, flailing his wand.

"You're not even trying anymore," Ben remarks blandly, and Diego thinks this is probably the best day of his life.

Klaus continues to scream "Wingy dingy" at the top of his lungs, until suddenly a garden gnome goes flying. They all freeze, before Klaus hesitantly raises his wand and points it at the gnome.

"Uh, wingy dingy?" It comes out as more of a question, and still the gnome twitches and rises unsteadily off the ground.

Klaus' jaw goes slack, and he drops his wand. The gnome falls from the broken concentration as he turns to his stunned siblings.

"OH MY GOD BENNY, I'M A WIZARD!" The 'wizard' flings himself at his brother, squeezing him in a vice-like grip and then shaking him by the shoulders.

In his excitement, the gnome shatters behind them, but they're too wrapped up in the moment to care.

"We gotta tell mom and dad!" Klaus says, vibrating with excitement. Everyone agrees, so they hurry home to break the news to their parents.

* * *

Morticia and Gomez are overjoyed to hear their son has discovered yet another ability, and though Klaus realizes he doesn't actually need the wand or the incatation to move things around, he still insists on it every time.

Later, when all the fanfare winds down, Diego changes back into his uniform. Klaus and Ben escort Diego back home, and Klaus floats him to his bedroom window.

There's a note on his nightstand, and when Diego picks it up he knows immediately who it's from.

 _Hey loser,_ it reads, and he snorts.

_The old man was asking for you. I told him you threw up 'cause I punched you too hard and that you're sleeping it off. He didn't bother checking, I don't think, but be prepared to lie your butt off at breakfast._

_\- You'd better know who this is, stupid._

Smiling, Diego quickly changes into pajamas before creeping out into the hall, candy in hand.

He leaves a handful right on her nightstand alongside a sticky note with a smiley face on it. He slips out the door and goes back to bed, not even worried about Reginald questioning him in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kinda dumb but I hope you like it. Halloween is most fun with wild friends!


	6. Creepmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas: the smell of fresh snow, the taste of hot chocolate, and the warm feeling of secrets kept between siblings.
> 
> (Also known as: according to Klaus, 'snowball fight' is synonymous with 'World War III'.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DON'T CARE IF IT'S OCTOBER, IT'S CHRISTMAS BECAUSE I SAID SO  
> also, I literally wrote chapter 7 before this one, hence why it took so long lol  
> Also, apparently the Addams' call Christmas 'Creepmas' in one of the renditions, so :)

"Absolutely not! The skull can't go over there, it's too close to the other skull!" Diego huffs in irritation.

"I d-don't s-s-see why that ma-matters."

"Style, Di, style! The balance and coordination will be thrown off, and that's unacceptable! It must be absolutely perfect!"

"A bit strange to hear about balance and coordination from you, Klaus," Ben says as he hangs a fake spider up. Klaus gasps.

"I don't know what you're talking about. My sense of fashion is flawless! You're just too jealous to admit it!"

"Oh, yes, I'm so very jealous of your glitter bombs and feather boas," Ben mutters dryly. His brother pointedly ignores it.

"I st-still do-don-don't know w-w-w-why a-a-ll this is- is suh-suh-such a b- a big d-deal."  Klaus turns to Diego, still holding the plastic severed head.

"It matters because we're going to be staring at this tree for the next month or so," Klaus explains patiently. It's just about the only thing he does with patience, and Diego really appreciates it. "We can't be staring at an ugly, unstylish tree for an entire month. It's sitting in the middle of our house!"

"B-but why d-do we nee-need a tr-tr-tree? W-why does the h-h-oliday ma-matter at all?"

Klaus looks at Diego as if he's just told him summer vacation was cancelled and they'd have to go to school year-round. "Diego, I've said this before, and I'm going to say this again." Klaus rests his hands on Diego's shoulders, leaning in to ensure his friend is only paying attention to him. "You. Need. Love. Love and attention, all of it, and holidays are entire days dedicated to showing love and attention. Therefore, this is extremely important, and we are going to celebrate it like the world is ending in a week." Diego blinks the dizziness from his eyes.

"O-okay," he murmurs, unsure of what else to say. Klaus smiles and pats Diego on the cheek.

"Good. Now, let's finish decorating our Creepmas tree!" Klaus claps happily, then turns back to the tree that Ben is still decorating.

"Is-is-isn't it pron-pronounced Chri-Chris-Christmas?"

"It is," Ben confirms, "but we prefer to celebrate it our way, and putting rosy-cheeked angels and glittery snowflakes on our tree isn't how we prefer it." It makes sense, so Diego accepts the answer and goes to hang another plastic ball on the dead tree.

* * *

"W-wha-what are- are y-you do-doing?" Diego asks Ben as he watches him write something at his desk. It's multiple pages long, but it doesn't look like homework.

"Writing a letter to Janet." He tells him this as he finishes the final sentence and stacks all the papers up.

"Who?"

"My birth mom." Ben says, as if it's a conclusion Diego should've come to on his own. Perhaps sensing Diego's intense stare, Ben elaborates. "She was really young when she had me, and her parents didn't want her to keep me. So she gave me to Mother, so I could be safe and happy. Which is why Mother and I send her pictures and letters, so she knows that I'm okay."

Diego nods slowly, digesting the new information. He can't think of anything else to add, so he remains silent. He watches as his friend folds the papers and fits them nicely in the fancy envelope. Ben then opens his drawer, revealing a large set of stationery supplies including wax and seals, because he is nothing if not elegantly over-the-top.

Diego thinks it's an Addams thing, having a dramatic but fancy flair to anything they do. The only one who seems to differ from that is Klaus, who's simply over-the-top in general. Though he admittedly still has his fancy side, Diego decides, remembering Klaus' collection of antique jewelry and pretty clothes. It's a shame one can barely tell because of his overpowering glitter addiction.

As if summoned by the thought, Klaus bursts into the room carrying multiple shopping bags on his thin arms. Diego doesn't know why Klaus is so skinny, considering all the weight he lifts for hours on end during shopping sprees, but alas, the world works in mysterious ways. Perhaps it's also a secret power?

"I'm baaaaack!" Klaus sings loudly. He flings his bags on the bed, before flopping himself right on top. "I've gone shopping with Mother again!"

"H-he-hey, Klaus." Diego greets. "What- what've- what've you g- g-ot there?"

"I'm glad you asked!" He wiggles around to pull out one of the many bags. "We got so many things! There were these really cute snow boots at the store, it's got fur on the inside and little heels, and these cute little puff balls on the laces! I can't wait til it gets colder so I can wear them everywhere. Oh, and there's this _adorable_ sweater, it's made of wool and has a turtleneck and usually I don't really like turtlenecks, but the fabric's real soft so it isn't itchy or anything. And then, I've got..."

* * *

It's early December, and Diego can see his breath misting the windows when he looks outside.

It's harder for Diego to come up with excuses to sneak out to see Klaus and Ben, leaving him noticeably gloomy. He hasn't fought with Luther in weeks, not because he's too happy to bother, but because he's seemingly lost the energy to do anything. It actually makes his brother worried for once, casting him cautious glances and being gentler with him while sparring.

People seem to tiptoe around him- everyone but Reginald, who goes out of his way to make everything harder on his son. Every slump of the shoulders, every small sigh or downcast look, and Reginald would call Diego out and find some way to punish him. 

"-iego? Diego!" Diego practically jumps out of his skin, snapping to attention only to find Pogo staring at him in a somewhat disappointed manner. A quick glance around reveals that the rest of his siblings are watching him with varying levels of concern. He clears his throat awkwardly.

"W-what?"

"Are you alright, child?" Pogo shuffles a little closer, inspecting Diego as best he can. "You've been terribly distracted for quite some time now." Diego shifts uncomfortably in his seat, feeling the pressure of all their eyes on him.

"I- I, uh, I- I'm fi-fine. Sor- sorry." Pogo stares at him for a while longer, before finally nodding.

"Very well, if you're sure. However, please do not hesitate to tell me or Grace if anything is the matter." Diego nods, and the lesson resumes. His siblings' stares linger for a minute, before one by one returning to the lesson.

* * *

"What's going on with you?" Diego snaps out of his reverie, turning to find Charlie. She steps further into the room, eyeing him in that analytical way that most others don't realize is with concern. Diego steps away from the windows and flops onto the bed.

"Nothing," he mumbles, shrugging. Charlie stands there for a moment, contemplating, before finally sitting down beside him.

"If it was really nothing you'd have shaken it off by now." Diego hates that she's right, and hates that she can see through him so well. He says nothing. "It's those boys, isn't it? Your friends." He jerks, looking up at her for the first time. She quirks a brow. "Oh, come on, they're the only ones who could affect you this bad. Give me some credit already, would you? We both know I'm not stupid."

Diego slumps, sighing. "Y-yeah, it's ab-b-bout them. It's got-gotten real c-cold, so-so we c-can't hang out as-as much. They c-can't vis-vis-visit at night an-anymore, 'cause if- 'cause if I-I leave the w- the window open, then we'll-we'll g-get sick, b-b-but they c-can't come in 'cause of the c-c-cameras. Klau-Klaus tried coming o-o-over anyway, but h-h-he got a c-cold right- right af-ter." Charlie blinks.

"Why don't you just go see them?"

Diego stares at her incredulously.

"An-an- and ris- risk g-g-g-etting c-caught by- by d-dad? Are- are yo-you k-ki-kid-ding me? Dad wo-wo-would ski-skin me al-alive! H-he-e-e's b-b-been cr-crack-cracking do-down on- on m-m-me sin-since Hal-Halloween!"

Charlie huffs.

"Yeah, well, obviously we won't be going in the day. We'll go right after dinner. We can stage a fight, get sent upstairs early, and then sneak out."

"W-we?" His sister smirks at his questioning tone.

"Yeah, 'we'. Obviously, you're taking me with you. After all, I _have_ been saving your butt these past few months. 'Sides, I'm sick of this place. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been allowed to just stand in the backyard in my whole life, and I'm _ten!_ If I don't get a break soon, I'm setting this place on fire."

Diego agrees with the sentiment. Charlie's always been the restless type, not adventurous so much as nomadic. It's always been her dream to wander, so being cooped up in the house all day is probably driving her crazy.

Still, something in him says that Charlie's only partially telling the truth about why she wants to go with him. He can't figure out what or why though, so he simply lets the matter rest.

"O-ok-o-okay," Diego finally concedes, "W-we- we ha-h-ha-ave a deal." They shake on it, Charlie intentionally gripping too hard and causing Diego to give her a glare that she responds to with a cheeky smile.

* * *

It's finally dinner time, and Diego's never been more nervous about it.

He and Charlie agreed only a few hours before to stage an incident that would get them sent upstairs early, but they never actually discussed _what_ they'd do specifically, or even at what point during the meal. He keeps sending her furtive but definitely desperate looks, but it's as if Charlie doesn't see him, her eyes trained on her plate.

Eventually, Diego decides to just eat as much as he can before anything goes down, and hope that his sister knows what she's doing.

Just as he's close to clearing his plate, he feels a sudden pain in his shin, and he hisses, partially from the unexpectedness. Reginald pauses, training a steely eye on Diego.

"Is there a problem, Number Two?" He asks in a voice that makes it clear he isn't actually concerned. Diego purses his lips and shakes his head, unwilling to use his words unless he must. "Then I suggest you remain silent, unless you wish to have extra training in the morning." Diego's response is to shove another piece of meat in his mouth, before shooting a glare at Charlie. What was that kick for?

Her reply is to kick him again, even harder and in the same spot, though this time Diego doesn't make any noise and resolves to kick her back. They're soon embroiled in a shin-kicking war, and before long he forgets he's trying to remain subtle and quiet, and it becomes obvious that they're attacking each other beneath the table.

One particularly hard kick gets evaded, the foot instead crashing into the table and shattering the illusion of discretion. Both children press on, and before long Diego's sleeve is on fire and he's trying to bat it out.

He yelps and dumps his glass of water on it before throwing the steak knife at her, not actually using his powers to aim anywhere in particular. This is evidenced in the way Charlie tilts her head by a fraction and manages to avoid the blade.

That's the exact moment that Reginald decides enough is enough and slams his fists on the table, instantly commanding the attention of everyone in the room.

"Get out." He snaps, not even bothering with a lecture this time. "If you two insist on squabbling like mere, stupid children, then I will gladly treat you as such. Both of you, return to your rooms this instant." They both get up, throwing angry looks at each other as if they didn't plan for exactly this to happen. "And since you have already finished your supper, you will not be enjoying breakfast tomorrow morning."

They both storm out, grumbling and scowling all the way until they were far enough out of sight and earshot. Immediately, they break into a sprint.

Once they make it to Charlie's room, she starts cackling. "It worked! It actually worked; this is awesome." Diego nods fervently, too anxious about leaving to find the humor yet. Charlie pats him on the shoulder.

"Good work." She runs a hand through her hair, pushing back the stray golden locks that managed to fall in her face, cheeks a bit red as she calms down from her laughing fit. "Now, let's get out of here."

It turns out, her escape route is through her bedroom window to a tree with a rope tied to it. Diego doesn't know where Charlie got her hands on a rope this sturdy and long, but decides quite wisely that it is better to not ask any questions.

He also wonders if she does this a lot- sneaking out for a brief moment just to get a break from the stifled chaos that makes up their childhood- before deciding that this too isn't any of his business, and shimmies down the tree.

He shudders a little from the winter cold- for some reason, they didn't think far enough ahead to bring coats- and yet the feeling immediately fades when Charlie grips the crook of his elbow.

Never before has someone had a more convenient power, Diego thinks, and the two of them take off towards the Addams' house.

* * *

"Wait, he  _what?"_

Charlie cackles at Klaus' incredulous voice. "Yup. I'm completely serious." Diego's face burns in embarrassment as they continue talking about him. It's at this moment that he regrets bringing Charlie with him, if only because now she gets to tell his only friends all of his most embarrassing stories.

"No way," Klaus' grin can't be any wider. "I can't believe that!"

"Well, it happened, and then Mom caught him, and he just looked at her and said-" 

"C-ca-can- can we no-not t-t-ta-talk ab-about em-emba-embarrass-rassing sto-stories?" Diego snaps. Klaus pinches his cheeks, causing Diego to aggressively swat Klaus' hands away. 

"Aw, but it's so much fun!"

"Yeah, it's fun embarrassing you," Charlie teases. Her brother responds with a glare.

"N-no, it-it-'s n-n-no-not." Charlie sighs.

"Alright, alright," she concedes, "let's do something else then. Anything we can do to kill time?"

"We can have a snowball fight!" Klaus gasps, clapping his hands together. "We've been wanting to do that, but it's not as fun with just two people. But now we can make teams! Right, Benny?" In response, Ben pulls out the plans he drew up for the snow fort.

"Tell Mother to prepare the hot chocolate, because we're going to need a lot of fuel." Ben's voice is determined, which in hindsight should typically clue everyone else in on what direction this snowball fight is fated to take.

"We don't have coats," Charlie points out.

"We have plenty of coats. Just pick some stuff out of the closets and then prepare for battle!" Klaus rolls off the sofa to run upstairs, determined to find his favorite winter clothes.

Ten minutes later, and they're all outside building their team forts. Ben and Charlie decide to partner up because Klaus keeps accidentally stepping on or toppling over Ben's snow walls, and Charlie is the only one who seems to understand his blueprints. It isn't long before Klaus 'accidentally' hits Ben's head with one of their 'test throws', and soon the war has begun.

A flurry of snowballs fly in every direction, demolishing forts and coating all of the kids in a healthy layer of ice. The only one unperturbed by this is Charlie, who melts the snow when it becomes too much, though Klaus insists it's cheating since it means they can't tell when they've hit her or not.

Charlie then tells Klaus that it's cheating to use ghosts to do your bidding, and Diego interjects to say that cheating is when you use your tentacles to throw multiple snowballs at once, especially if those tentacles technically belong to an eldritch horror in your stomach, which could be considered the third member of your team. Ben fires back that being able to manipulate the trajectory of your throws midair is the true cheat, and before long they've called a state of total war as they launch volley after volley of snowballs at each other with reckless abandon.

Eventually their forts are completely destroyed, nothing more than icy lumps on the ground as the children resort to lobbing their snow right at each other's faces, chasing each other around until a clear victor can be declared in this wintry war of aggression.

At some point, Klaus pushes out a wave of snow with his telekinesis, which Ben bats away using Cthulu's many appendages. Charlie then sees fit to set Klaus and Diego's fort's flag (an old rag tied to a hockey stick stuck in the ground) on fire, declaring that 'Klaustopia' has fallen. Diego, in turn, takes a butter knife he stole from the kitchen weeks ago from his boot and tosses it at Ben and Charlie's flag, effectively cutting it off the pole.

"It doesn't count if I already set your flag on fire first!"

"Yes it does! If we're going down, we're taking your precious Valhalla down with us!"

At some point, their new self-appointed President Ben organizes a peace treaty, and within the next hour they begin making snowmen, with Ben making everyone promise not to turn it into a competition.

"We've lost enough good men on both sides," he says gravely. "And my blood pressure is already getting rather high. We need to regroup, join hands, and prevent cardiac arrest." And so they continue to create snowmen, rebuilding their fallen troops, until Morticia steps outside to tell them it's too dark to remain outdoors any longer, and to warm up with hot chocolate.

Klaus, who is entirely ready to complain upon being told to stop playing with snow, is immediately won over by the promise of hot chocolate. They scamper inside, welcoming the sweet beverage, still chattering excitedly about the events of that day.

"Diego, Charlie, will you two be staying the night?" Morticia suddenly asks. "It's getting quite late, and I'm sure you're both very tired. Would you like to stay here, or return home?" The Hargreeves siblings turn to her, then each other, and then back to her again. 

"Will that really be alright, Miss Morticia?" Charlie asks, far more polite to the woman than she is to even her own father. Morticia smiles.

"Of course," she replies, "and it would be most convenient, since tomorrow we will be distributing the presents."

"Sure," Charlie says, agreeing for the both of them. "We'd love to stay."

That night, as they all curl up in the family room (Klaus wants to be right by the presents so he can open them as soon as possible, of course), Diego rolls over, only to find a cold spot where his sister should be. He sits up, and eventually finds her sitting by the window. He joins her, silent as he gives her the opportunity to speak whenever she's ready.

"Your friends are pretty fun." She says after some time. She's still staring out the window. "I can see why you like them so much."

"Y-yeah, the-the-they're p-p-p-prett-y g-g-great." Charlie hums under her breath. They pass yet another moment in silence.

"Do you think," she begins, "do you think there's something wrong with us?" Diego frowns, unsure of what she means. "Like, I know we're... different, and that's not what I mean. But," she chews on her bottom lip, unable to fully find the words and becoming somewhat frustrated.

"Klaus and Ben are different too, but they're _happy_. Their family loves them. They're not afraid of their dad. They don't get locked in basement cellars when they get in trouble. But then I start thinking about _our_ family, and..." A long pause, before she whispers, "I wish he never bought us."

Charlie finally looks at him, and Diego finds himself at a loss for words. He wishes, not for the first time, that he had the answer to that question, the very same one that's plagued him since that summer day in the Addams' backyard that feels so long ago now.

But he doesn't have any answers at all, and Charlie's staring at him with a look that's more vulnerable and lost than she's ever allowed herself to look, and all he can do is stare back. The silence feels unbearable all of a sudden, and eventually they go back to bed, deciding to push the matter to the back of their minds until the time comes in which they can't ignore it.

* * *

Christmas- or perhaps the correct term is 'Creepmas'- day comes, and the morning is nothing short of perfect. Charlie, despite meeting them all the day before, wakes up and receives nearly as many presents as Diego- something Klaus laments, as they apparently didn't have enough time to gather  _as_ many presents as they did for him.

Charlie doesn't see why they have anything to lament at all, considering they managed to collect an insane amount of presents for her in a singular day in the first place, so she honestly doesn't have any complaints.

Still, they insist on giving her just as many as Diego the next year, and Charlie briefly wonders if they'll crash the economy if they keep this up.

The rest of the morning is spent at breakfast and a brief session in the snow, before the Hargreeves siblings agree that it's time to head home, deciding to shove all they can in large bags and carry them back. Klaus floats Diego through the window, while Charlie opts to climb the rope still hanging from her room. They both make it inside just in time for Grace to get them for lunch, as they weren't supposed to have breakfast that morning.

"Number Two and Number Six, I trust that you have seen the error in your ways?" Reginald asks. Diego straightens his back and nods dutifully. In the corner of his eye, he can see his sister shrug, back still slumped but body tense. Reginald stares at them for a moment.

"Good, then you should have no complaints about having extra training for the rest of the day." Perhaps Reginald is simply trying to get a rise out of them, but neither really care. As they're shooed away to go train, they share a smile. Reginald can dole out as many punishments as he wants. He can't ruin Creepmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else feel like my writing starts out neat and then gets really stale as the fic goes on? Idk like I just feel less and less satisfied with every chapter I write in every story.


	7. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus is in love, Ben is done with everyone, and Fran sees more than people expect.

_"Poor, wretched girl. You are there but they cannot see you. You were meant to shine, but now your light is dimming. So empty, so empty. The vultures flock as they wait to consume your voice. Hungry, hungry, taking everything from you, until you are nothing but a hollow shell."_

Fran tilts her head as she watches its massive body hunch over Vanya. It clings to her, whispering to her words she doesn't hear, but rather feels. It's particularly vicious today, more persistent as it tears into her psyche and feasts on her fear.

It's always such a shame to see the way they seem to hang off their bodies, clinging tighter than the shadows at all times. Vanya curls in on herself, subconsciously reacting to the cruelty of its words without knowing they're being said.

Fran makes her way out of the library, the creature's disparaging comments disappearing behind her. As she makes her way to her room, she passes more siblings with more shades at their sides, their incessant hisses making the children's eyes darken and shoulders slump by the slightest fraction.

She sees as the darkness is drawn to them like magnets, twisting and building and growing. It's quite the shame, she thinks, because she knows they're meant for so much more than this. They're worth so much more than a lifetime of being ensconced in the shadows, served up on a silver platter as fodder for the beasts.

She keeps walking.

She passes a portrait of Reginald, and knows without a single doubt that this is all his fault. For him, she has no pity. For him, she has no sympathy. She knows with no uncertainty that this man, this foul, cruel beast in human skin, is the sole reason these halls are stained with blood and sin, why these children are bound to Horrible Awfuls. He is so deeply entrenched in the words and whisperings of his own Horrible Awfuls that they're nearly melded together.

She sees it all around him, the darkness, the way his Horrible Awfuls have become so deeply entrenched into his mind and soul that they needn't attack him any longer. Rather, they've become him, shrieking and snarling at everyone else, endeavoring to siphon off their pain and sorrow in the way they no longer can with Reginald.

She isn't sure who mirrors who, but understands that it no longer makes a difference. Reginald has never overcome his Horrible Awfuls. He chose to join them instead, and that is a point past returning from.

Fran makes it to her room, taking in everything around her. It's so terribly bland, nothing but a bed, nightstand, and desk, and she can't help the sigh she lets out. She closes her eyes for a moment, letting everything fade around her.

Immediately, she feels the change in the very air. She smiles without even looking, not needing sight to confirm what she already knows.

"Fran," comes the call of a familiar voice.

She opens her eyes.

* * *

"Klaus, my dear, whatever is the matter?" Morticia brushes her fingers through her son's hair delicately. Her son has been sighing since he got home, staring off into space and leaning dramatically against various pieces of furniture. Her other son, Benedict, groans from across the room. She turns to him.

"Benedict, darling, do you know what's putting your brother in such a state?" If her son was any less of a properly raised Addams, or even any less of _himself,_ perhaps he would've rolled his eyes. Alas, Benedict is a well-mannered young boy who tries his best to be as sophisticated as possible at all times, and as such resorts instead to simply huffing once more.

"He's being dramatic as usual," he tells her, shifting to cross his legs and straighten his posture. Klaus sighs even louder than before, rolling onto his back so he can throw a hand theatrically over his forehead. "Apparently, he can't handle seeing one decent-looking person without losing his mind, and now he refuses to stop with his theatrics because I pointed out how little of a deal it is."

As if to prove his point, Klaus shoots up in his seat to throw him what is likely the most exaggerated glare he's thrown to date. Benedict thus remains entirely unfazed.

"I can't help it," Klaus insists, gazing up at his mother with the most woeful of eyes. "He's just so lovely mother, he really is!" It's at this point that Gomez enters the room, planning on getting himself a fresh cup of coffee. He smiles when he sees his wife and sons there, and comes to join the conversation.

"Mia cara," he greets, kissing her on the cheek. She hums as she accepts it, though they're soon interrupted by Klaus' put-upon, woe-is-me sigh, one that he's probably been practicing for quite some time.

"What's wrong, son?" Gomez chuckles, cupping the side of his son's head and comfortingly rubbing his thumb against his cheekbone. Klaus leans into the affection as he continues to pout and whine.

"He's lovesick," Benedict says with a mild amount of disgust. He is, after all, still a child, and while not all of them are adverse to the idea of romance, there are definitely still a substantial amount of them that are less than enthused by the idea. "This boy just moved in, and today was his first day in our class."

Gomez freezes, unwilling to accept the words he hears. "Klaus? Is- is that true, son?" At the lack of denial from anyone in the room, Gomez's smile completely wipes off his face. "I- Klaus?" He sounds absolutely lost, and perhaps a little betrayed. _His_ Klaus, _his_ little devil? In love?

"It- with who?" Who would possibly try to take away his precious boy?

Klaus sits up to meet his father's gaze properly. He grasps both of the older man's hands with his own as he does, commanding Gomez's attention. "His name is Dave, and he's the prettiest boy I've ever seen." The confirmation shatters his father's heart, and the man sits down to relieve his shaky knees.

"Oh, Dio mio," he breathes, mind racing a mile a minute. "This is truly happening." Ben finally gives up on any sense of propriety and rolls his eyes, deciding to call it quits for the day. Morticia rests both hands on her husband's shoulders in an attempt to console him.

"Oh, mon cher, we knew this day would come," she tells him.

"But so soon, mia cara? He's so young- I'm not ready to give him away!" He cries. Perhaps one might be aghast at the blatant disregard the Addams seem to have at the reveal of their son's interest in boys, considering it is, after all, 1999, but the Addams have never been concerned with such trivial matters such as that. Their little boy is in love, and that is the only thing that matters.

Meanwhile, Klaus remains unperturbed by them talking about him, as he continues to sigh and stare out the window in what they now knew to be a lovesick manner.

Wednesday chooses this moment to emerge from her own room, perhaps to find an afternoon snack for herself. She takes in the scene around her, before turning as Ben approaches her. "No one here is sane." She quirks a single brow at his words.

"And you've just discovered this now?" Her voice is as monotone and unwavering as ever, and yet it's laced with a lilt of humor Ben is attuned to at this point.

"No, just incredulously reconfirming the truth." She hums in understanding, and then they part ways.

"Oh, what does it matter? My love is doomed, anyways! Star-crossed! Ill-fated! We can never be together!" Klaus wails, and Morticia moves to comfort her son.

"What makes you say such a thing, darling? You like him, do you not?"

"Oh mother, of course I do! He's so pretty, and sweet, and smart, and he's just perfect! But it's obvious it'll never work out- he goes to _Sunday school!_ His last school was a Catholic school, and he even has a little cross necklace! And if that isn't bad enough, he looks absolutely adorable in it too! Almost cuter than _I_ do! Even his little khaki shorts and polo shirts look good on him, mother! How is this possible? _I_ don't even look good in khaki shorts and polo shirts!"

At every compliment he gives Dave, Gomez looks more and more terrified. Morticia decides Klaus is more of a priority than consoling her husband, who is a fully grown adult, and resolves to handle her son's dilemma first.

"Oh, Klaus, my sweet boy, you needn't worry so much. Love cannot be so easily defeated by such a thing. It is still possible that it will all turn out well in the end. And what better way to find out, than by trying?" She strokes his cheek adoringly. "Come now, your eyes watering. Save those lovely tears of yours." Klaus vigorously rubs his eyes, before giving Morticia a blinding smile.

"You're right, mother," he says, already sounding several times more enthusiastic than before. "I can't let something as dumb as khakis or Catholic school get in the way of me marrying the prettiest, nicest boy in the world! I'm gonna go scheme!"

Completely re-energized, Klaus leaps off the sofa and sprints up the stairs, mind racing with the possibilities. Morticia smiles softly at the sight. Ah, to be young and in love.

She turns to her husband when he emits a noise akin to a punch to the gut. She sighs at the dazed look he gives her. This isn't going to be a good time for him.

* * *

There's a knock on Ben's door, roughly an hour or so after he escapes the live-action soap opera in the family room. He goes to open it, only to come face-to-face with his father, who stares at him with puppy dog eyes that no grown adult should be capable of possessing.

"Yes, father?" As if this in itself is an invitation, Gomez shuffles into his son's room and sits himself down on the boy's bed.

"Benedict, my son, you'd tell me if anything was happening in your life, yes?" Ben raises an eyebrow.

"Yes?" It comes out as a question, asking just where he's trying to take this. Gomez nods fervently.

"Good, good," he says. There's an awkward, uncomfortable silence, before his father speaks up again. "You- please, be honest with me, my son. You haven't... found anyone, have you?" Ben groans, and upon seeing his father still staring at him with wide, worried eyes, he sighs heavily.

"No, Dad, I'm not in love with anybody. No, Dad, no one's going to steal me away. No, Dad, I'm not going to run off with an 'unworthy choice' that you despise. No, I'm not going to elope in the middle of the night and not tell you where I'm going."

His drawl sounds quite monotone, making it clear that they've had a similar conversation many times before, and that he's not even remotely amused by this.

Gomez nods silently, somewhat cowed by his son's irritation, before smiling brightly. "That's all I need to know, little devil." He pats Ben's cheek, and the boy gives him a wry smile in return. The older man takes his leave, his steps significantly lighter than before.

* * *

It's a cold Tuesday morning, and David Katz is nervous.

He just moved to a new town on Saturday, and he knows not a single person here. It's scary, considering he's only lived in one place his entire life, and all of his friends came from the same school and used to all live close by, and now he's in a completely different place halfway across the country with not a single familiar thing in sight.

Still, he doesn't complain, because he knows Momma and Daddy are doing this because it's a good opportunity for the family, a job with better pay in a place with a bigger house and better schools and safer neighborhoods.

But it doesn't stop him from wishing his Daddy never got that offer, nor does it stop his Momma from noticing how little he wants to be here, in this town with perfect trees and nicely-mowed lawns and freshly-painted, perfect houses.

He knows she knows, because instead of driving straight home after his first day of school, she surprises him by stopping by an ice cream store and getting him a triple-scoop double fudge with all his favorite toppings at once, something she's never let him do before, and when he gets home she lets him watch three episodes of the Rugrats- he's not allowed to watch T.V on weeknights, you see- and doesn't even bat an eye when he stays up thirty minutes past his bed time.

She still makes him shower and brush his teeth and pray, but that doesn't bother him in the slightest. How could it, when Momma let him have as many toppings on his ice cream as he wanted, and watch T.V. on a day that he isn't supposed to, and stay up later than she's ever let him?

That doesn't stop the encroaching feelings of anxiety and discomfort that threaten to overwhelm him that next Tuesday morning at the thought of going back to his new school where he doesn't know anybody. But it helps, knowing that Momma's always gonna be there to make it better.

When he goes to school, his heart is pounding and he can't seem to make himself meet anyone's gaze. When the teacher pauses the lesson for recess, he can't help but feel both terrified and sad, because everyone else immediately splits off to do their own thing outside, and Dave can't seem to do anything other than fidget nervously at his seat on the furthest bench from the playground.

He's spiraling again, dwelling entirely too long on thoughts too negative, when he hears the crunching of mulch only a few feet ahead of him. His gaze is still trained on the ground when a pair of shoes appear in his line of sight, and Dave follows them up until he finds a face and-

Oh, wow.

Are boys supposed to be this pretty? At least, he thinks this person's a boy. He looks like one, but his green eyes are so round and clear and bright, and his cheeks and nose are the brightest, loveliest shade of red from the winter cold, and he's got the largest, sweetest smile on his perfect face. Dave thinks instead that this boy might actually be an angel, like the ones in the books and paintings and bedtime stories Momma reads him at night.

Before he can embarrass himself any further with his prolonged staring, the ~~angel~~ boy holds out a delicate hand for him to shake. "Hello there," he greets, and oh dear, did his voice have to be so pretty too? "I'm Klaus. It's very lovely to meet you." Dave tentatively shakes the boy's hand, still caught off guard by his appearance.

"I- uh, Dave." Inwardly, he winces at the splutter. Can he truly be any more of an embarrassment? Klaus doesn't seem to mind, though, since he simply giggles and invites himself to sit beside Dave- not, of course, that Dave minds at all.

"I noticed that you just moved here," Klaus begins. "Which means you probably don't have any friends." Dave shrinks in on himself a little, but before he can begin to feel bad about himself, Klaus continues. "Do you wanna be my friend?" Dave looks up at him with what's probably too much hope in eyes too wide, because Klaus looks just a little sad.

Finally, his lips split in a large smile that, unbeknownst to him, goes straight to Klaus' heart and sets it afire.

"Yes."

* * *

When Wednesday kicks down the door to Klaus' room, the boy merely quirks a brow. His sister crosses her arms over her chest and storms inside. "You broke Father," she says, without any form of greeting or explanation. "Again." She adds.

"Well, hello to you too," Klaus chooses to say. Wednesday remains stone-faced. "I'm glad to see you this fine morning, sister dear."

"He's bothering the rest of us because he's under the impression that it won't be long before his other children 'leave the nest' and 'elope with ordinary folk'. He's inconsolable, and Mother's on her last bit of patience." Klaus sighs heavily.

"Well, it's not my fault he's reacting this way. I can't help my undying love! I've met my soulmate, Wednesday! We connected! The spark is there! Nay, the  _flames_ are already burning, and they'll never be put out!" Wednesday stares at him blankly.

"I'm telling Mother to stop letting you watch romance movies."

Klaus ignores his sister's jab, opting to wax poetic about his crush. Admittedly, this is the first time Klaus has ever expressed genuine romantic interest in anyone, so it isn't as if he's the type to have a new 'flame' every day. However, this point can be contested with the fact that he's also ten years old, which barely gives him much time to gain crushes on people in the first place.

For an Addams, however, this is still considered quite sudden, as Addams' are notoriously difficult to earn the heart of, but also just as difficult to lose. (Wednesday isn't sure if it's truly a trait passed down for generations, or merely the way they are raised, but most Addams' can count on one hand the amount of times they've fallen for someone, and even less of those times were they mere fleeting infatuations.)

Grandmama explained to her and Pugsley once that until her husband, she hadn't loved anyone, and that it's quite a common pattern among their family. For Klaus to have met Dave and become interested in him immediately is quite an odd thing for them. But then, the Addams family is nothing if not odd.

Hopefully, this boy will prove to be worth it all, because otherwise Wednesday will have to nail dead forest creatures to his front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILER: Angst ahoy!!!!


	8. Hargreeves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life through the lenses of the other Hargreeves children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reupload of chapter 8, because there were some external issues and I couldn't read half the chapter when I went to look it over again, so I thought my phone uploaded an incomplete chapter and panicked :)

When Number Two first sneaks out that sunny summer day, it's right after training. He gets into a fight with Number One over something mundane again, and runs off into the woods while his brother isn't paying attention. Number One's so panicked by this that he bursts into tears, terrified of Reginald's reaction and for Number Two's safety. He's the leader, he knows his father will say. How can he lose one of his subordinates?

And then Father will look at him in that stony, disappointed way that lets him know he's messed up and everything is his fault. He's nine years old but he's the leader, he can't hide behind excuses and get by with his incompetency.

Father pulls him aside and hands him a book, telling him to read it and then write an essay about where he failed as a leader. Number One looks down at the book, and can already tell he won't understand nearly a third of the words in it.  _The Prince_ , it's called, by Niccolo Machiavelli. He's not allowed to ask for help.

Still, Father tells him this is the only way that he can be better, the only way he can stop failing so much, the only way Father will forgive him. With those final words, he sends Number One upstairs without dinner for the evening, telling him the ache of his empty stomach will encourage him to stop failing, and remind him of this lesson.

By the end of the book, Number One's head is swimming with words and phrases he barely understands. But one thing sticks in his mind and burrows deep.

_It is better to be feared than to be loved._

It rings in his head even as his eyes rove over the other pages, even as he writes his pathetic approximation of an essay, even as he heads to Father's office to turn in his work.

_It is better to be feared than to be loved._

When he finally turns it in to his father, the man asks him if he's learned anything from the book. Number One repeats, without any hesitation, the words that have been burned into his psyche. The look in his father's eyes isn't one of pride, not yet, but somewhat similar, like something in the realm of acceptance, perhaps even- though Number One dare not entertain the idea- approval.

However, Father barely skims the papers before throwing it out in the bin next to him, right in front of Number One. Father doesn't say if he did well or not, but he doesn't make him do any more essays. Number One hopes one day he'll be able to make Father proud the way he's supposed to.

* * *

Number Seven is eight when Sir Reginald slaps her in the face for making eye contact with him. He tells her she has no right to, and when this proclamation is met with silence from the rest of her siblings in the dining room, she eventually agrees. She never looks anywhere higher than his chin ever again.

She is nine when he ups the dosage in her medication after she gets angry for the first time. Someone ruined one of her favorite music sheets, and though she doesn't remember what she did, she remembers how she spends six months so nauseous and drowsy and generally out of it that she could barely remember her own name sometimes.

Vanya is ten when she sees Diego sneaking out at night, running off with two boys towards the house next door, and wonders- of all thoughts- if he is finally deciding to leave and never return. Instead of being worried, all she feels deep inside is a foreign blend of envy and grief. She can only think that he is lucky.

* * *

When Number Three has her mouth duct taped for the entire day, it's because Dad is tired of her "incessant, despicable whining" after he hears her complaining to Number Five about the pain in her wrist when Five twisted it funny during their sparring match.

He tells her that her voice is unnecessary outside of training her powers, and that if he hears her whining about 'trivial matters' once more, he would leave the tape on for two whole days, and she would have to go without meals.

She complies, because there is nothing else for her to do, because even after Mom gives her a check-up and discovers her wrist is actually sprained and tells Dad, he doesn't do anything more than exclude her from activities that would normally require using both hands.

 Her words are unnecessary, he tells her after Mom patches her up. It would be wiser if she simply did not speak unless required to. She was not given a mouth to use however she wants. Her voice is a tool, and one only uses tools when there is a job to be done.

 Number Three takes care to never speak around Dad unless she must, learning at the delicate age of seven that she is not meant to do more than she is told. The lesson is carved into her in its own way, a way that also taught Number Three that she is not fond of going hungry for whole days.

* * *

Number Five is six when he first begins to think about running away.

Because he is six, however, the words in his mind aren't "running away" but rather "leave forever". And soon, at barely seven, he looks for ways to go as far and as fast as possible, reasoning that, if he can go from room to room in the blink of an eye, he should be able to do the same at a greater distance.

He doesn't want to approach Reginald, but eventually he does, ignoring the steadily increasing  _'thump thump thump'_  rhythm of his pulse and the creeping discomfort (it is not  _fear;_ even at seven, he knows better than to so much as think the word  _'fear'_ near Reginald Hargreeves) in favor of clearing his throat and, for the first but certainly far from last time, inquires about the strange concept he's heard of called time travel.

Reginald's response is to tell him without any amount of hesitation that Five is not only incapable of time travel, but also that he likely never will be, and to give up on such "foolish, frivolous dreams" that very instant. To ensure that Number Five keeps such idiotic ideas out of his "feeble mind", he orders him to warp from one end of the house to the next repeatedly without break until Reginald is satisfied.

As it turns out, "satisfied" is when Five collapses on the ground, trembling and puking all over himself. The boy is nearly broken apart, his atoms not accustomed to such abuse and, for a terrifying moment, some of them refused- or perhaps forgot how- to recombine, and so Five lays crumpled on the ground until he's no longer in danger of losing solidity.

Reginald tells "Humpty Dumpty" to put such useless drivel out of his mind, and focus on trying not to lose shape and fall apart instead, as he apparently "is so terribly incompetent" that he "cannot do even the most basic and necessary of tasks required to live". Reginald leaves him on the floor, still quivering.

Number Five learns to never allow Reginald to be satisfied.

He also becomes entirely obsessed with the notion of time travel.

* * *

Number Six is four when she learns she will never be more than a mere space filler.

Hargreeves does not hesitate for even the slightest moment when making it crystal clear that not only was she not his first choice, but she was not his second, either. Or third.

In fact, had the other peculiar children not been dead, untraceable, not for sale, or otherwise inaccessible to Hargreeves, he would never so much as contemplated buying her.

He takes great care to ensure she understands that, of all seven siblings, she was actually the cheapest to buy- that is to say, she was free. Her birth mother, according to him, hadn't hesitated for even a second before thrusting her at the old geezer the moment she learned what he was there for.

A demon child, she had called her. Fires start when she so much as glances at something. Fires that do not burn her. Fires that she delights in. Number Six's birth mother saw this, and decided she would either find someone willing to take her far, far away, or she would dispose of the infant Number Six herself.

Still, Hargreeves gave her a small amount of money in the event that the woman might somehow try to spin it against him, perhaps in the hopes of suing or something similar. Even so, he'd given her a mere two hundred dollars.

Number Seven was worth sixty thousand, he told her. Number Seven was worth sixty thousand, and in Number Seven's case it was clear to even her own mother that she'd likely be useless.

Number Six is five when she decides that, if she truly is a demon, she'll simply have to make the most of it, and welcome the flames. One day, she might find it in her to burn the world down. She'd need to be prepared for that.

Charlie is ten when she looks at Diego, and his friends who sneak in through the window just to see him, and the snowmen all four of them built on that one perfect day, and finds something she thinks is worth burning the world down for.

* * *

Fran has always known, has always seen, has always been.

When she looks at Sir Reginald Hargeeves, the Horrible Awful in human flesh, she feels her lips curl downwards in both pity and distaste. No matter where or how or why, he is never any different.

It is a shame, for academically the man is brilliant, and politically he is powerful, and financially he is unstoppable. He could save so many lives, and yet instead he is merely fixated on destroying them under that same pretense.

If Fran could not see, she would say he is the most vile man to have ever lived; human only in appearance, a most foul beast if there ever was one. But Fran  _can_ see, and she sees that while no less than Remor awaits such a disgusting creature, the world is never quite so simple.

But all in due layers, she reminds herself, for she cannot do quite so much here. It is not up to her, for if it was, Reginald Hargreeves would never have existed.

As she moves down the hall, she finds Five in his room, frustrated with the equations he has hastily scribbled over the boards and papers. Fran smiles softly, heartstrings tugging at the sight.

How many will be lost to this? How many, until they needn't any longer? Will this really be the only in which things are different? Or will they follow too, treading worn tracks? 

"You seem to be having trouble."

Five growls at the comment, tossing yet another completed notebook at the wall. While he's never necessarily been the carefree sort, he's unusually tense whenever time travel is involved.

Fran misses seeing him relaxed, or as relaxed as one could be in this house of horrors. He's always been ambitious and at times, singularly driven, but the obsession has taken things to new, unprecedented levels.

It's all beginning to look the same.

"I'm at a roadblock. Again." He grits out. He hates to admit his shortcomings, she understands. Especially for something he's so passionate about. "He keeps talking about acorns! I just don't get it! What does  _he_ know, anyway?"

'He' is most certainly none other than Reginald, who has taken to feeding Five only the slightest morsels of information. It drives Five insane, and Fran is quite sure that's the only reason why the man bothers.

Oh, dear.

* * *

Five is prepared to murder someone when Fran comes to his room.

Usually, he hates when people come into his space, but he'll admit he's quite intrigued by his sister. Fran is nothing if not cryptic, and he enjoys trying to decode the things she says, puzzles as they are. So far, she seems to be the only one who understands what he says, other than Reginald, who Five tends to avoid on principle.

However, he is aggravated, and not in the mood to try deciphering her words at this time. Still, he explains his issue to her upon request, and watches as she hums and scans her eyes over his work. He isn't sure what she can possibly to do help, but waits until she gets her fill, says her riddle, and leaves him to his work. Finally, she speaks.

"You see, Five, time-"

"Is an illusion?" Five interrupts sarcastically, uninterested in hearing her confusing riddles. Perhaps if he finishes it for her, he can resume his research sooner. She stares at him strangely, as if  _he_  is the nonsensical one.

"Is liquid," she corrects. "It is a jump rope, not a lifeline." It is one of the most straightforward things she's ever said, and Five still has no idea what she means by it. "That is the reason you have failed to discover how to travel through it, and why your father insists you wait. You are trying to run when truly, you must swim."

"How would you know?" Five asks with narrowed eyes. Fran's smile is kind, but the meaning is indecipherable.

"Because I must, or I would not survive."

Her brother is nothing if not bewildered by this statement. Perhaps she shouldn't reveal so much. Perhaps she is beginning to become too partial, too preferential to them, but she can't seem to help it. Perhaps it's because they're family.

She usually doesn't have siblings.

"You'll figure it out Five, I'm sure." She pats his shoulder affectionately and turns to leave. She should not stay here, lest she say more. "You've always been brilliant. Just take care not to leave us behind." She closes the door and makes her way to her own room.

Hopefully, this would be enough- for now- to keep him from going too far, too fast.

* * *

The Hargreeves children all sit on the couch, backs impossibly straight, as they wait for their father to arrive. Pogo announced earlier that the man requires their presence.

He finally appears, and immediately the attention is completely on him.

"Children," he begins. Instantly, they know something is different. "For years, I have ensured you all train diligently and vigorously, and for one sole purpose. This, as you know, involves the safety of the world." The children shift, anxious but also on the edges of their seats.

"Finally, the time has come. We will embark on our first mission this week. This will be a long, crucial mission, not simply as our debut but by its very nature. We will be gone for quite some time, and therefore you must all pack extensively." He glides over to the stairs.

"With this, the Umbrella Academy's inaugural class will debut in the eyes of the public. Do well not to make fools of yourselves and, by extension, the rest of the Academy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally it was supposed to be a compilation of the different times Diego's siblings realized he was sneaking out/making friends and stuff, but then it became the different times they all got punished/Reginald did something to psychologically scar them.
> 
> But honestly it was kinda hard to find a way for Reginald to abuse all of them for different reasons and in different ways (without the immediate worst ones like beating them up- which I didn't want to do yet- or sexually abusing them- which I will NOT be writing), hence why Allison's and Vanya's are so short. I couldn't think of much that would cause them to get punished since Allison usually did well enough, and Vanya had pretty much reached Mastery Level Invisibility by the time she hit puberty.
> 
> I hope you like it, though! Next chapter will have the last vestiges of fluff as we embark on an angsty journey! ALL ABOARD THE ANGST SHIP!  
> (is what I say, but I'm a soft bitch so we'll see how long I'll last lmao)


	9. Field Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A field trip to remember. For all the wrong reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING FOR (non-sexual) CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN AND ALSO FOR AN ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACK.  
> I hope y'all don't mind, but I've decided Ben will have expanded powers. He still has Cthulhu, but now I'm thinking he can do more monsters too, like giant spider legs and stuff.
> 
> Though, I'm wondering, should he be able to summon the WHOLE monster, or should it just be some of their limbs? I just love the idea of Ben riding a vaguely dog-shaped eldritch creature that terrifies everyone they come across lol.  
> Say goodbye to fluff, 'cause this is probably the last time you'll see it. :)

If Susan Katz wasn't sure of it before, she definitely is now.

Her son is absolutely smitten with his new friend, Klaus. And if she isn't mistaken, Klaus is just as enamored with her baby boy.

It isn't hard to see. It's quite obvious, seeing as she's both an adult and not an idiot. There are indeed people like this in the world. It would be stupid of her to think it wouldn't be possible with her son.

It's quite obvious, since she looked at her husband of fifteen years the same exact way when _they_ first started dating.

Being Catholic, her first reaction to the realization is fear. She knows exactly what the Bible says, and the priest, and everyone she's ever known in her family and her church. She knows what she hears on T.V. and in the papers and the gossiping women in the PTA. She knows what they call this, what they call the people _like_ this, and she's terrified, because this is her _baby boy._ Her one and only son, and she's never wanted anyone to look at him and think those words, or say them, or do what they do to people like him alone at night or even in public.

She doesn't want her little boy to get hurt.

But then she meets Klaus, sees how sweet that little boy is, nothing like the 'diseased persons' they talk about on the news or in the gossip circles. He's so delightful, with his adorable little earrings and the way he enthusiastically calls her "ma'am" and jumps at the chance to help her around the house while he waits for Dave to come out of the bathroom.

She sees the way they act together, how her perfect little boy looks so hopeful and how his eyes light up as he leads his friend up to his room, and she thinks, "this can't be wrong." Because yes, they're still so, _so_ young, and they don't know anything at all, but if anything that makes it even more clear to her.

The decisions they make have nothing to do with everyone else. Nothing to do with what the world believes about the people like them, and everything to do with how _they_ feel, in _their_ minds, in _their_ hearts. It's purely the two of them, and the entire time, Susan can't help but look at them and _know_.

Before anyone, before any _thing,_ her David comes first. Nothing else matters, because _no one_ and _nothing_ is more important to her than her son. So even if the priest disapproves or the media panics or the ladies gossip, as long as her baby boy keeps smiling, Susan will know she's doing something right.

* * *

"I won!" Dave exclaims as the T.V. displays the 'winner' screen. They've played ten rounds of Mario Kart on the N64, first simply as a way to pass the time, but now because Klaus keeps losing and refuses to be anything but a winner.

"Aw, merde!" Klaus swears, flopping onto his back, and Dave pauses in his strange little victory wiggle to look at him in surprise.

"What?"

"What?" Klaus echoes.

"What did you say just now? Mair?" Dave asks. Is that even English? Klaus giggles.

"You mean 'merde'? It's French, but I'm actually not supposed to say it 'cause it's rude, but Wednesday uses it too, so," Klaus shrugs. Dave's jaw drops at his friend's words.

"You speak French?!" He's utterly gobsmacked by the thought, completely ignoring the fact that it is, in actuality, a curse word like the ones his Momma always says he shouldn't repeat. He's never met anyone who's spoken another language before.

"Mhm! My Mother's French, and my Father's Italian, so we know a little bit of both. I prefer French though, 'cause sometimes if you're too aggressive it sounds like you're coughing up a hairball! C'est vraiment marrant!"

Dave is utterly enchanted, and Klaus is more than a little eager to show off in front of his crush. "I can say a bunch of things, and people have no idea! Like, 'mon cher', and 'tu es si beau', and 'je t'aime'!" Dave gasps, clapping his hands together.

"What does it mean?" He asks, and Klaus smiles rather slyly.

"That's a secret." It's quite rewarding, Klaus thinks, as Dave pouts and begs him to translate. He doesn't think he'll tell him just yet. He wants to have fun with this first.

"Ooh! I wanna show you a new trick I learned!" The subject is successfully changed as Klaus pulls out a pouch full of marbles.

"A trick? What kinda trick?" Dave asks, already enthralled.

"A cool trick." Klaus empties the marble pouch into his hand and tosses it behind him haphazardly. Dave leans forward as Klaus covers his cupped hand with the other and concentrates. "Tadaa!" He exclaims as he pulls back both hands, revealing the marbles spinning rapidly in the air between them. Dave gasps.

"Wow!" He brings his face even closer, tentatively swiping a hand over and below the floating marbles. They continue orbiting in a circle, which excites Dave even more. Klaus puffs his chest out in pride.

"I figured it out two days ago. It's super easy." He says this quite smugly, as if he doesn't remember spending the entire week working on it for this very moment. Dave looks up at him, large eyes even wider with awe.

"You're amazing, Klaus." The marbles falter temporarily from his surprise. Klaus flushes but pretends he isn't.

"I know," he says, quieter than usual. By then, Dave has already returned his attention to the marbles.

A few hours later, Klaus' mother comes to pick him up. She stands in the entryway, speaking amiably with Dave's mother as the two boys descend the stairs. Klaus puts on his shoes, before giving Dave a hug goodbye.

"I'll see you on the field trip," Dave says. "Can we sit together on the bus?"

"Of course!" Klaus exclaims. He puts a hand on Dave's shoulder. "We'll talk and have fun the whole day! Until then, mon cher, au revoir. Je t'aime!" Morticia quirks a brow at her son's blatant flirting, quite amused at the shamelessness. By the looks of it, Dave doesn't seem to have any sort of idea what her son is saying, but clearly enjoys it nonetheless, judging by the deep blush that instantly spreads across the boy's face.

She's taught him well.

"Uh, see you," Dave splutters. He doesn't notice the glint in his mother's eyes as she watches the interaction. Klaus waves dramatically as he leaves the house, and Dave shyly waves back.

* * *

Fran hums softly as she picks flowers from the meadow. They're going to be gone for a while, so she wants to collect one last bouquet before they go on the mission. Besides, the blossoms are most beautiful this time of year.

A few feet away, Mr. Midnight lounges in the grass, napping leisurely. It's been a while since she was last able to speak to him, as he'd been quite busy until now. Luckily, her dear friend will be accompanying her more often for the foreseeable future.

"It's such a lovely day, isn't it, Mr. Midnight?" Sharp golden eyes open and rove over to her as she leans in to sniff the flowers.

"Indeed, it's quite warm. Until it's decided otherwise, of course." He yawns after responding, punctuating it with a long, satisfying stretch right after. He releases a sigh and turns back to Fran.

"How are things? Has it been accomplished?"

"Almost. There will be changes, due to Reginald's mission. But not much. Their desires will never be obtained."

"Good. I, on the other hand, have done what you've asked."

"And?" Fran's voice is as light as ever, but the leading tone has Mr. Midnight suppressing a smile.

"And?" He repeats innocently. Fran tilts her head and purses her lips, an expression he's long since recognized as her version of a pout. " _And,_ I have searched. She is indeed there." Fran stops working for a moment, anticipating.

"Oh?"

"Yes," Mr. Midnight confirms. "All the way at the beginning, the start of it all. She is there." Fran accepts this answer, and goes back to creating her bouquet.

"Thank you." This time, Mr. Midnight does smile.

"But of course. Anything for you, my dear."

Suddenly, they are interrupted by a knock. The Whispering Lights flutter to her, speaking in hushed tones, telling her in riddles who is there.

"Yes, Luther?" Fran calls. The door opens, and Luther pokes his head in, looking around nervously- something he does quite often in Fran's presence.

"Dad told me to make sure everyone was packing like they should." She smiles at him softly.

"Of course. I have already finished. Would you like to see?" She pulls out her suitcase from the closet and hands it to him. "You may bring it downstairs if you'd like. So Reginald will no longer worry." Luther nods dutifully, having long since given up on trying to convince Fran to call Reginald anything similar to 'father', and takes the suitcase, shutting the door behind himself.

"It seems like we must continue this conversation another time." Mr. Midnight says. Fran's brows furrow only slightly.

"It really is unfortunate," she says, and he agrees. She sits beside him, and he moves to lean into her. She strokes his head idly. "You will come back soon, will you not?" There's a twinkle in his gold eyes as he looks up at her.

"Of course. I won't be long, I promise. You know I always come back." With that, her most beloved companion gets up and strolls away, disappearing down the hill.

* * *

The Hargreeves arrive at their temporary home roughly a week later, filing into the large mansion as quickly as possible to escape the early February cold.

Despite the house supposedly being out-of-use, it is immaculately clean and completely furnished. All of the children find their designated rooms almost immediately, and settle in the same amount of time.

It isn't as if they have to adjust by much; aside from the general location, the house is eerily similar to their normal one. Even the contents of their rooms, and the amount of portraits of Reginald on the wall.

It's late in the evening by then, so they don't do much else other than eat dinner and shower before they all head to bed. Their father reminds them that they have a large day ahead of them, and that they'd debrief in the morning.

* * *

Klaus bounces excitedly in his seat on the bus. Ben sighs in annoyance beside him, pressing closer to the window and burying his nose in his book. Klaus has been anticipating this field trip for months, having already heard about it from Pugsley and Wednesday, who have already gone.

On his other side sits Dave, who, while excited for the trip, has been fairly nervous the entire day, eyes trained on his feet as he scuffs his sneakers against the ground. Klaus, ever so shameless and entirely too eager to be around his personally-proclaimed 'soulmate', simply grabbed Dave's hand while they lined up for the bus, and hasn't let go since.

It is, in Ben's professional opinion, quite sickening, but then he's also been forced to listen to Klaus' pining day in and day out at this point, so he concedes that perhaps he's simply biased.

They're headed to a science museum, something that has even Ben excited, as Pugsley gave him a brochure of the museum last year and he's been interested in a few of the exhibits ever since. Klaus is simply excited to see 'floaty things' and run around, and Dave just likes the idea of getting out of the classroom.

Once there, it doesn't take long for Klaus to try escaping the crowd and running off on his own (with Dave and Ben, of course), but it takes even less time for their homeroom teacher to snatch him by the jacket and force him back into the group. She, having had both Wednesday and Pugsley before, know precisely the type of kids Klaus and Ben are, and is now a master of catching runaway Addams children.

Klaus pouts until they are finally allowed to go off in groups, ignoring the chaperone and the sheet of paper they're given in favor of running off to one of the interactive exhibits. Not once does he let go of Dave's hand, which at this point is actually getting rather clammy, which Klaus either doesn't notice or opts to completely overlook. (Dave is grateful for this; he isn't prepared to die of embarrassment just yet.)

"Look, Dave! It's glowing!" Klaus cackles as he watches the little model light up like the description says it will. Perhaps Dave should be watching the exhibit, since it honestly does seem rather interesting, but he can't help but find the way Klaus' eyes light up even more entertaining than any science model. Is that weird? He doesn't think eyes should be that captivating, and yet, he can't stop staring at Klaus'.

"Uh huh," he murmurs in agreement, still picking out the different flecks and shades that go into making Klaus' eyes the specific shade of green that it is, and eventually Klaus turns to look at him.

"Dave?" He says, perhaps noticing something is off, and yet Dave suddenly gets the urge to hold his hand again. They're still staring at each other, the air around them feeling somehow fragile all of a sudden.

"That's it, I'm sick of this." They both jump back, realizing for the first time that Ben is there, slamming his book shut and scowling at them. "If I have to watch you two make googly eyes at each other one more time, I'm going to get Cthulhu to eat the both of you. I'm going to watch another exhibit before my brain melts."

He storms away, muttering under his breath about annoying couples. Dave flushes in embarrassment, until Klaus blesses his ears with another laugh.

"Guess it's just us, then." He says, and this time Dave is flushing from Klaus' smile. Distantly, he wonders if he can die from blushing too much. "Wanna go try another station?"

"Okay." And soon he's being tugged along by Klaus, and the entire time he can't help but think he's never been happier.

* * *

Eventually, Klaus goes to use the bathroom, leaving Dave to sit on a bench beside one of the chaperones, who is watching a classmate in time-out. He scuffs his shoes against the floor, wondering how long Klaus will take in there. Dave doesn't have a watch, but it feels like it's been forever.

That's how Ben finds him, swinging his legs and feeling nervous just by being alone, nary a Klaus in sight. Ben furrows his brows.

"Where's Klaus?" He asks.

"The bathroom," Dave says. "He's been gone for a while." This has Ben frowning, and he decides he'll sit there with Dave until Klaus comes back. After all, all the other benches are filled, and he needs somewhere to sit and record his findings.

Another ten minutes go by, and now Ben is genuinely concerned. He gets up, closing his book again. "Here." He hands Dave their worksheet. "You finish this. I'm going to go get him. He's probably side-tracked at another station." Despite saying this, Ben can't help but think it doesn't make sense. Nothing could possibly distract Klaus from Dave, his ultimate distraction as of late.

Still, it seems to appease Dave, who nods and resolves to finish the work while Ben looks for his brother. Ben disappears into the crowd, and Dave turns to his work. Klaus will be back soon, he is sure, so he needs to finish this quickly.

He's sure, until lunch rolls by, and neither of the Addams' have returned.

He's long since completed the work by then, and spends the rest of the morning block feeling uncomfortable at the bench, wishing Ben had at least left his book so Dave could take a look at it. Finally, he tells a teacher, hoping they'll know where the two went. Maybe Klaus got them in trouble? Angelic as he looks, Klaus is perhaps the biggest trouble-maker Dave's ever met, so he wouldn't put it past him to somehow get in trouble within the time it takes to walk to the bathroom.

However, the teacher has no idea where the two are, and immediately goes to the other adults to ask about Klaus and Ben. None of them know where the Addams boys went.

Dave is beginning to feel more than simply anxious. He knows something is wrong, but he doesn't know _what,_ and none of the adults will tell him anything. Why won't they tell him anything? The boys are special, and smart, and there's no way that anything bad can just _happen_ to them, right? They'd know better than to do something dangerous, or wander away, right?

So where are they?

Dave panics so badly that a teacher from another class has to pull him aside and sit with him somewhere quiet. They make him put his head between his knees, and Dave doesn't really know why, but it definitely makes him feel a little better.

It doesn't stop his mind from racing, wondering about where the boys are or what they're doing or why they're not here with him right now, but his heart doesn't feel like it's about to jump into his mouth and the world isn't spinning anymore, so he thinks it worked well enough.

The teacher asks him if he wants her to call his mom, and though he doesn't want to leave until he sees Klaus and Ben again, he's so scared and confused and tired that he can't help but nod. He wants Momma to come and pick him up and take him home. Momma always knows how to make him feel better.

* * *

The bathroom on their floor is apparently closed due to maintenance issues, so Klaus has to go to the one near the entrance. He finishes his business quickly and washes his hands, eager to return to Dave. Just as he moves to grab the wipes, he hears the door open behind him.

He doesn't think much of it, seeing as it _is_ a public bathroom, until the man grabs him from behind and covers his mouth with one hand.

Klaus screams against the sweaty palm, sending the man flying with his telekinesis. The assailant is slammed against the bathroom stall, and Klaus takes that opportunity to bolt out of the room.

The second he steps out, he rams face-first into yet another man, who shoves him against the wall and pins him there. Before Klaus can even cry out, there's a sharp, tiny sting in his neck. He pushes the man off with another burst of telekinesis, and tries to run, only to fall to the ground.

His movements become sluggish as his limbs stop responding to him, and his vision blurs as he tries crawling away. No one sees him from where he lays, crumpled on the ground in the dark hallway, and the shrieking of happy children drowns out his cries for help. Eventually, whatever drug they used overcomes him, and everything goes dark.

* * *

Ben mutters under his breath as he weaves through the crowd, eyes peeled for signs of his rambunctious brother.

There's no way he just forgot about Dave, there's no _way._ Sure, he's been pretty down lately, since Diego and his siblings had to pack up and leave a few weeks ago, but he knows better than to leave on his own and let Ben worry. He _knows._

So then, where is he?

Ben heads to the bathroom, hoping to see his brother doing something dumb but being otherwise unharmed, only to find a sign on the door warning visitors that it's closed for maintenance.

He tries a few more, only to come up empty. At this point, he's growing both irritated and worried, because there's _no way_ Klaus is anything but fine, but then, what the hell does he think he's doing?

Mother and Father both spent countless hours making sure all of their children know to avoid going off alone, speaking to people they don't know, or doing anything even remotely like the kids on the news that the police say never come back.

Besides, Klaus has powers, so it isn't like he can just get overpowered by any old random creep.

Right?

Ben understands that, however intelligent, they're both still children. And he understands that children aren't as strong as adults, and all it takes is a particularly strong grip, or a hit in the head, or even chloroform and a person will become limp as a rag doll.

But most people aren't telekinetics who can fly and summon ghosts. Most people don't have an extensive knowledge of poisons and drugs and how to use them. Most people aren't Klaus Addams, and there's no way Klaus Addams can just- can just _disappear._ So why can't Ben find him? He must be safe, right? He must be.

He must be.

Eventually, Ben begins running out of options, and so he asks one of his 'skin roommates' (as Klaus has ever-so affectionately dubbed them) to sniff his brother out. It doesn't take long, but Ben's heart pounds in his chest when he realizes he's being led outside the museum.

His worst fears feel like they're starting to be realized, and he's absolutely terrified of the prospects. Still, he hopes Klaus isn't far, and follows the trail.

Ben gradually stops being able to recognize his surroundings, the buildings melting away and being replaced with more and more wildlife. He should stop, he thinks. He should stop, and tell somebody, much like he should've way back when he realized Klaus wasn't in any of the bathrooms, and he should stop now and turn back to go tell an adult that Klaus is gone and they need to find him.

And yet.

Ben has seen those stories on the news, in the papers, through the whispers of the old ladies in the neighborhood. All it takes is a few minutes, they all say. A few seconds, even, and you never find them again. Distantly, Ben remembers those statistics he once read, of how many child abductions end with murder within the first hour. The first twenty-four hours are the most crucial, the paper said. But by the tenth hour, almost all of them are statistically never to be seen again.

How many hours has it been since Klaus disappeared?

Almost an hour, Ben's mind supplies. Maybe even two, with how long he's been looking. Didn't they say that most kids die within the first three hours?

Ben keeps walking.

Mother always says to stay together, he thinks suddenly. It's better that he finds Klaus as soon as possible and stays with him, because Mother always says 'stay together', and even though he knows she doesn't mean it like this, he keeps walking, because Ben is the one who walked away from him and Dave in the first place, so it's his fault and he needs to make it right.

He needs to find Klaus.

He ignores the aching in his feet and the stinging of his fingertips as they're overcome by the numbing winter cold.

It starts getting dark, but he presses on, confident that Cthulhu and the others will protect him. He listens to the tugging in his gut as they follow his brother's scent, and hopes the trail doesn't get killed by the weather.

Suddenly, he sees lights coming from behind him shining on the dead shrubbery, and hears the snuffling and barking of dogs. Before he can react, a man and a woman burst through the trees, stopping in surprise when they see him.

"Benedict Addams?" One of them asks cautiously. Ben doesn't respond. Are they police? If he tells them who he is, will they make him go home?

Do they know where Klaus is?

They take a step forward and Cthulhu growls, and it's only then that Ben realizes they're not in a police uniform. Cops have winter uniforms too, so you always know who they are, his mind informs him unhelpfully, and he inches backwards. The duo puts their hands up to signal that they don't mean him any harm, save for the hand used to hold onto the dog leashes.

Bloodhounds, Ben recognizes faintly. They have a group of bloodhounds, and flashlights, and no police uniforms, and they know his name.

"We're not here to hurt you," the woman says calmly. "We've just been sent to look for you. We're part of a search party, and we've been looking for you everywhere. You've got a lot of people worried, you know." Cthulhu growls louder, something that the dogs definitely hear, by the way they all start whimpering and cowering. The two look at the dogs and then each other, before turning their attention back to Ben.

"Klaus," is all that Ben can say, voice barely above a whisper. He's shivering, despite being bundled up in his winter clothes, hat and boots and all, and his voice quivers to match it.

"We know you went looking for your brother," the man says, trying his own hand at calming the boy down. "And we've found him, don't you worry. He's safe and sound. We can take you to him if you'd like." The man takes another step forward, hand reaching for something in his back pocket, but before he can do much else, Cthulhu explodes from Ben's coat and descends upon the man, tearing him limb from limb.

The woman shrieks and tries to run, but meets the same fate, and before long all that is left is a large puddle of blood, a loaded gun, and a group of whimpering bloodhounds.

Ben lets them go, watching them bound away in panic from the monster hiding in human skin. He turns on his heel and keeps walking.

Before he notices it, the sky is so dark he can't see anything. He doesn't know what time it is, just that his limbs are suddenly getting harder to command, and he can longer feel his feet. It's quiet, save for the soft rustling of dead trees in the wind and the crunching of ice beneath his boots, until out of nowhere he tastes dirt and realizes he's tripped and fallen.

He should get up, Ben thinks, but the ground suddenly feels so soft and his body is just so heavy, and his eyelids feel like they're made of iron as they slowly close shut.

He should get up, he tells himself again, and it's the last thing his mind thinks before it welcomes the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Mr. Midnight is N O T dating Fran, nor will he ever be. It's never explicitly stated in the game, but I'm presuming he's roughly around her age, but really that's hard to say. Fran's own age isn't even canonically confirmed in-game, but it's generally agreed that she's 10, and I think Midnight is, like, 15? Depends on how you calculate it, I guess. He could also technically be 3 or something because shenanigans and a vague timeline. So yeah, N O T dating, but he's also not an adult so he isn't a creepy old geezer anyway. Just a very dear companion :)
> 
> Y'know, I kinda wish I used Chihiro from Spirited Away as #4, 'cause then instead of Fran & Midnight we'd have Chihiro/Haku, who ARE a ship and are 100% my first OTP ever (and still my #1 y'all can FIGHT ME), which would help explain a certain event in the final chapter. But I also love Fran way too much and Chihiro having the same powers Fran has would be too much of a stretch. Who knows, though, maybe I'll do another fic like this later with Chihiro instead ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Some of the statistics Ben uses aren't accurate, but it's because those are what was commonly believed around the time this story takes place. For more accurate information, please find an actual reliable source.


	10. Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Addams' worst nightmares have been realized. The mission comes. Dave is all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just when you thought things would get better 
> 
>  
> 
> They don't :)

When Morticia Addams sends her sons off on a field trip, she doesn't expect it to end with their homeroom teacher calling to tell her they've gone missing.

She's cutting off the heads of her roses when the phone starts ringing. Grandmama is sick in bed, and Gomez had stepped out just a few minutes earlier, so she takes the phone Lurch offers her. "Hello?" She greets, sandwiching the device between her shoulder and ear as she moves a potted plant, only to hear the panicked voice of her children's teacher. 

"Mrs. Addams, I'm so, unbelievably sorry that I have to call you like this, but-" The woman is clearly trying to calm herself down to properly relay the information, and Morticia tries to stamp down the feeling of dread crawling up her throat. The teacher takes a deep breath, before apologizing again.

"Has something happened to my sons? Are they alright?" The woman on the other line makes a strangled sound, and the pool of dread gets bigger.

"It's- I really don't know how to tell you this, ma'am, and I really hate to have to, but- your sons- they're missing. Both of them." The potted plant shattering against the ground makes a ricocheting noise that echoes in her ears even after the fact. She doesn't hear anything after that, not really noticing as Lurch and Grandmama come rushing to her. Instead, after a pause she clutches the phone with an iron grip and turns her full attention to it.

"What happened?"

* * *

Klaus wakes up slowly.

His mind remains foggy for a while. His sight is blurry and his head feels stuffed with cotton balls. The very next thing he registers is pain.

The ache plagues his entire body, making him reluctant to move even the slightest centimeter. It's only when he comes to full awareness that he realizes he doesn't recognize his surroundings, causing him to jerk up from his laying position. The action backfires terribly, and soon Klaus is falling onto his back again and groaning in pain, his nerves on fire.

Eventually, when it all subsides, he manages to start thinking properly. He's filled with a sudden panic as the memories from earlier flood his mind. Where is he?  _When_ is he?

He wants to go home.

He takes a deep breath, trying his best not to cry. Focus on other things, he decides, remembering how someone told him once that it apparently takes the mind off of things. However, there's really nothing to focus  _on,_ he realizes. Save for ceiling lights, the room is completely empty, lacking even windows or a nightstand. It's also a stark, blinding hospital-white, bright enough to hurt his eyes.

He slowly sits up again, which is when he sees that he is no longer in his own clothes, either; he's dressed in what appears to be a hospital gown, except there's no opening in the back, or a pattern on the fabric. It still has the same cheap, flimsy feeling to the material, and he's pretty sure he has underwear on, but he's otherwise completely naked, which certainly doesn't make him feel any better about this situation.

He can't manage to stand quite yet, so Klaus settles for crawling to the door to examine it. It's the only thing in the whole room that isn't white, but instead a shiny steel. There's no knob, and judging by the lack of hinges it's meant to slide open. He tries to prod at it with his telekinesis, but it doesn't budge, and he's left with a sharp throbbing in his head. Klaus crawls away from the door, scared of whatever is on the other side. Somehow, he doubts it's freedom.

Instead, he opts to shuffle into the farthest corner of the room, curling up there and tucking his head into his knees. It's then that he gives up on holding back his tears. Is he going to die here? He doesn't know how long it's been, but it sure feels like it. After all, he hears all the time about kids who go missing and never come back. Is this where they all go? Is this why they never return? Because they're locked in a room with no windows or doorknobs?

The crying continues, and he burrows deeper into himself. He wants his parents. He wants Grandmama, and Pugsley, and Wednesday and especially Benny. He wants any of them to just _be here._

He chokes on a sob when he hears the most terrifying sound he's ever heard to date. There's a distinctly mechanical 'beep' sound, and the door, to his horror, slides open.

* * *

When the children wake up that morning, they gather downstairs in less than an hour, and Pogo pulls out a large planning board as Reginald begins the debriefing.

"This is Congressman Callaghan," he introduces, pointing to a picture of a man roughly his age. "For the past few weeks, he has been conducting classified negotiations with foreign politicians on behalf of our nation. However, we have gained information, and recently he has been threatened with assassination. This one is far different than the others, as they have given evidence that they indeed have access to him. As a result, he has heightened his security. Moreover, he has requested that the Umbrella Academy assists him."

Reginald continues to show them the route they will be taking, where Callaghan will be, the blueprints of the buildings- everything they would need to properly do their job. The children glance at each other nervously. It's a wonderful opportunity, they're sure, but isn't this _too_ heavy for a first mission?

Of course, one could argue that nearly any mission is 'heavy', or they wouldn't be missions- nor would they be _real._ Still, most of them remain unsure how they, a group of ten-year-olds, will be able to provide any amount of help to the professional bodyguards already employed. Reginald clarifies that they'll be seen as undercover spies- extra bodyguards that won't be accounted for or even suspected, seeing as they are, once again, small children. He tells them it's the perfect plan, and they have no other option but to believe him.

Fran glances at Charlie when she feels a pressure on her hand. Her sister is, consciously or not, squeezing Fran's hand with her own rather tightly. Fran squeezes back gently as a form of reassurance. Luther remains straight-backed and as stone-faced as possible, trying his hardest to come off as the steadfast leader his father expects him to be. Allison fiddles with the hem of her skirt, glancing at all of her siblings' faces and attempting to appear as nonchalant as possible. Five bites the inside of his cheek, trying to calm down. He can do this, he tells himself, trying to keep from looking visibly nervous. His leg is bouncing, so he rests it over the other to mask it. He stares at the board critically, hoping to seem like he is too engrossed in the map to be as anxious as he is.

Vanya stares at her feet from her place behind her father. She isn't on the couch because she's not part of the debriefing. She's only here to hand them the things they ask for. She isn't needed. Diego examines his daggers carefully. Despite his apprehension, his mind is with Klaus and Ben. He misses them a lot, and wonders what they're doing now.

When all is said and done, they head upstairs to prepare for the mission. They have to leave in three hours.

* * *

The mission goes quite smoothly, with the assassin being apprehended quickly and quietly. In fact, it's one of the actual bodyguards that catches the would-be killer, and though the Hargreeves children are quite glad they didn't have to do anything, they're also mildly disappointed by the anti-climactic conclusion of the three-day mission. In fact, Reginald himself seems irritated, muttering something to himself and writing in a notepad.

The children don't know, of course, but the entire mission had been fabricated. Callaghan is a friend of Reginald's who agreed to the idea, interested in seeing the project that has preoccupied the ever-so-apathetic Reginald Hargreeves for the past decade. The assassin was hired to tote around a gun filled with empty rounds and pretend to try shooting Callaghan.

Unfortunately, they forgot to also notify the bodyguards, who, as a result of such a massive oversight, considered the fake assassin a very real threat and ended up shooting the man in the head. It was an instant death, and Callaghan, in his embarrassment, opts to congratulate the bodyguard rather than reveal to them that they- _technically-_ murdered an innocent man (one could argue how innocent a man willing to pretend to kill someone can be, but that, of course, is up to personal opinion).

Which results to now, in which a disgruntled Reginald orders all the children to get into the car. The ride home is tense and silent, and Reginald is upset enough that they don't get called back downstairs for any training or studying for the rest of the day.

Eventually, the foul mood fades, and is replaced with an unnerving amount of excitement in the man, who tells them days later at the breakfast table that he's found another mission for them. After all, it wouldn't do for their debut to go unnoticed by the public, or- worse yet- without a dramatic introductory speech made to the press that would surely come to record it.

They're debriefed again, this time for a bank robbery about a block or two away. Apparently, the robbers somehow warned the bank ahead of time that, if they didn't procure enough money for them and leave it in the designated pick-up spot, they would come in and kill all of the employees. The bank, of course, ignored the threat, since they haven't heard of a group of robbers stupid enough to call ahead of time to announce their future crime, along with the fact that the bank is one of the most secure in the nation. They've apprehended any and all attempted robbers that have ever come through their doors, and not once have they been robbed (aside from those unfortunate embezzlement incidents, of course).

However, today must not have been a good day for them, as the bank is now in the midst of being robbed, all of its customers and employees serving as hostages for the criminals, who insist on the police providing them a getaway van and refusing to come near any windows or negotiate further.

The children all pile into the car, preparing to rush in through the back as soon as they get there.

During the ride, they put on their masks. Once again, many of them are filled with apprehension and are quite literally shaking in their boots. However, just like he has been ever since they came to this new city, Diego's mind is completely stuck on Klaus and Ben. They were supposed to be on a field trip yesterday. He wonders how that went, and wishes more than anything else to be with them and not here.

When they get there, Fran leads them through an unguarded passage from the back. She stays by the door as the rest of them go through, humming under her breath. The others spread out to their designated stations, and Luther nods to Charlie as her cue. Immediately, one of the robbers' jacket bursts into flames, and the man goes into a panic. The rest of the robbers are stunned, and the Hargreeves' take this opportunity to rush in.

Allison rumors one of the gunmen to shoot another in the foot, Luther sends a third guy flying, and Diego throws two of his blades across the room to pin yet another man to the wall. In the back, Charlie continues to terrorize the remaining criminals with her flames. The guys guarding the hostages run in circles screaming about "the shadows". Five warps to the hostages and lets them out in groups. Allison gives Charlie a mildly sour look upon one of her ~~victims~~ opponents nearly running over Allison in his panic. Charlie gives her sister a rather vicious grin. Behind her, one of the men attempting to sneak away screams as his pants burst into flames.

The mission is a success, with all of the robbers being successfully stopped and the hostages completely safe. Not a single (innocent) person is injured, and as they line up behind their father in front of the zealous press, they puff their chests out in pride, knowing that they did their very best, and it paid off.

Despite the overwhelming amount of news reporters sticking cameras and microphones in their faces, Reginald remains unphased. In fact, he is rather pleased. He clears his throat, and somehow that is enough to get most of the noise to die down as they anticipate what he has to say. "I have adopted six children gifted with abilities far beyond the ordinary," Reginald begins, and watches as the crowd remains enraptured.

* * *

The media is in absolute chaos, more so now than ever before.

All over news channels, radios, magazines, and the like, two topics overwhelm the press.

At first, it was the mysterious, tragic disappearance of two young boys from a sleepy, safe little town. Their parents are rich and elusive, their family has a big, dark reputation- all the makings of a hit story, especially as the parents are now on the warpath, determined to find whatever sick bastard took their boys.

People from all over call into police stations with tips and leads, all becoming more and more bizarre as time goes on. Calls saying they saw a boy who looked vaguely like Klaus Addams at the amusement park with another pair of adults, to those who found the new neighbors suspicious because they recently adopted a little Asian girl, and they remember that Benedict is Asian, too, so what if they're pretending he's a girl to throw off the trail? To those who apparently spotted a young boy covered in blood and wandering the town at strange hours of the night, glassy-eyed and pale as a ghost, unresponsive to those who call out to him.

They've even received calls claiming they _have_ the boys, though all of them are quickly debunked, and once they had an anonymous tipper whisper from the other end of the phone that they saw two people confronting Benedict Addams, when suddenly his _stomach opened_ and _tentacles_ came out to eat them. They do indeed find a large puddle of blood and a handgun roughly near the alleged incident, but Benedict Addams is nowhere to be found. Strangely enough, the Addams insist on any and all of the calls being recorded and sent to them, regardless of how ludicrous and insane. They appear rather interested in the phone call about the tentacles and the wandering boy, but despite the best efforts of their many private investigators, nothing ever comes of it.

The police even organize search parties and use their K-9 units, but neither of the boys' trails lead anywhere. Klaus' stops at the road right outside of the museum he disappeared from, while  Benedict's, oddly enough, leads right out of the museum and into the woods for miles. They find nothing past the pool of blood, so they collect it and the handgun and send them both in for examination.

Then, just when it seems like the entire nation is too captivated with the Addams boys' disappearances to focus on anything else, the media is taken by storm when a group of masked young children in school uniforms stop a bank robbery and apprehend all the perpetrators without a single innocent casualty. These children are all adopted by Reginald Hargreeves, who gave a speech after the incident, claiming that all of his children possess supernatural abilities, something that is demonstrated upon the ~~leak~~ release of the security footage in the bank.

With these two topics completely overtaking the news, the media is thrown into an absolute frenzy, obsessing over both. Neither party seems quite fond of the other, however, as before long the Addams family is pulling strings to shut out coverage of the Umbrella Academy in favor of putting more and more focus on their sons. Reginald is none too pleased by this, especially after coming home from a mission one evening, when he puts on the news for the children to hear what others think of their success, only for the broadcast to be interrupted and turned into an update on the progress of finding Klaus' and Benedict's whereabouts.

He flips through the channels, only to find the same thing; everywhere, on all news channels accessible, the same picture of the two young boys are displayed on the green screen behind the news anchors. Barely a single word is said about the Umbrella Academy before they switch to the topic of the kidnapping. The footage they share of the boys' final moments seen alive are the same as well, grainy videos that they took from the old security cameras. In one, a young boy looks frantic as he runs out of a bathroom, only to run into a man who struggles with him before carrying his unconscious body out. The other consists of a concerned brother searching the museum before walking straight out the door, never to be seen again.

The news continues to speculate as to who the men apprehending Klaus were, and why Benedict decided to leave, and where he is now. Interviewers hire body language experts and child psychologists to appear on their shows and examine the boy's odd behavior, how he searched all the bathrooms before stopping in the middle of a hallway, and the brisk pace with which he stormed out of the building. They have them introduce theories as to what those men wanted with Klaus, and what might've happened to Benedict, and the blood found frozen on the forest floor miles away, and the handgun. They bring supposed witnesses on the line or the stage, who testify that they saw Benedict moving through town like a zombie, lips blue and jacket stained with dried blood, or Klaus being shoved into a dark van that sped off soon after.

Eventually, Reginald grows sick of it, and turns off the television, ordering the children to go to bed immediately. As the others get up to leave, Diego remains frozen on the couch. Unlike Reginald, who possesses knowledge of and access to the outside world, he hadn't the slightest idea that Ben and Klaus had gone missing. Until now, he'd believed they were safe and sound at home, unlike him, and that they'd be there when he got back.

He did not realize how wrong he would be.

Charlie grabs him by the arm and leads him upstairs, appearing nonchalant but truly being just as shaken. Diego doesn't recall being tucked into bed, or even falling asleep, but he knows it must've happened, since he wakes up in bed the next morning.

Later, Reginald decides to 'fight back' against the Addams, as the next day the only thing on the news is them, the Umbrella Academy, with newscasters everywhere singing their praises and speculating about them, wondering if this will become an age of super-heroism, much like in the comics. Would there be a real life Batman? A secret Captain America that the government has designed? Would they live to see a real life Avengers or Justice League?

Unfortunately, Reginald's reign over the media and his subsequent good mood doesn't last, as soon after, they start hearing more and more about Benedict and Klaus Addams once again. This is the start of a press war, Diego thinks, not realizing just what else is to come.

* * *

Dave watches the other children on the playground run and play. It's a beautiful day outside, despite the winter chill. The sky is a pretty blue and the wind is rare and gentle, and it almost feels a little warm if you close your eyes and stop thinking about it. In fact, it's actually rather warm for a February afternoon. There's a lot less frost than usual, and the sun's out for once. It's why the teachers decided it would be a good idea to have recess outside. It's almost perfect.

Almost.

It's been a week since Klaus and Ben went missing.

The day they first disappeared, everyone kept telling Dave that everything would be fine, and that they'd find the boys soon. He believed them, curling up beside Momma as she read him story after story, promising him that everything was gonna be alright, and not to worry his pretty little head about it. 

But the hours kept ticking by, until it was late and the police had come and gone, and Dave's eyelids were getting heavy but no heavier than his heart, when Momma looked at him with those sad, sad eyes and told him to go to bed. The hours are still ticking by, even now, hours empty of laughter, of happiness, of the presence of his only friends. 

It's been quite a while since he's had to sit alone during recess like this. Usually, this is around the time that Klaus would insist they play some wild adventure game, like 'Pirates and Witches' and other make-believes that he completely came up with out of nowhere. And then Ben would sigh and complain and say he's sick of that game, even if they've never played it before, and he'd argue that it'd be better if they just played something _normal,_  like 'Catch and Execute' or 'Cops and Killers', which Dave would  _then_ say aren't normal games either. And then they'd play something they always play anyways for the rest of the free block.

Of course, it isn't like they would be doing that today anyways, even if they were here. Because unlike the other days, today is special. Today, Dave actually had something planned.

Today is Valentine's day.

He was thinking about it for a while, and finally worked up the courage to ask his Momma to take him to the store to pick some things up towards the end of January. She thought it was very sweet, so she agreed, and they went shopping that week for candies and chocolates and a card with a dumb little pun, and Dave even found this little teddy bear with one of the eye buttons missing that he knew Klaus would find absolutely charming.

He was supposed to ask Klaus to be his Valentine.

But then they went on that stupid, _stupid_ trip, and now both Klaus and Ben are gone and everyone keeps saying that they're never coming back, whispering about how some stranger must've stolen them, must've done terrible, horrible things to them, and no one's ever gonna see them again. They say it quietly to each other when they think Dave can't hear them, and sometimes even when they know he can. They think he won't know what it means when they say someone must've hurt them.

They think he doesn't know they think Klaus and Ben are dead.

He's heard about it before, back in his old town. There was a girl that lived a few miles away that went missing at the mall. Her mom turned away to fish her wallet out of her purse, and when she looked back, her daughter was gone without a trace. Apparently, they found her body less than two hours later in the lake they named the nearby neighborhood after. It was all over the news, about how some strange man in a dark coat grabbed her and just kept walking, and how no one thought anything of it because all they saw was a tired father taking his misbehaving child home.

Dave wonders if whoever took them used the same trick.

Maybe no one thinks they saw anything because they just saw two unruly boys giving their dad a hard time. Maybe they saw a babysitter taking their napping charges home. Maybe they saw some lost kids running around, and some helpful adult promising to help them find their parents.

Maybe no one payed enough attention to notice anything at all.

Is it possible to not notice it? Dave thinks he would, if he saw someone giving his friends a hard time. But then, it's never been hard for Dave to notice Klaus at all, in any of his endeavors. And Ben is his only other friend, someone who actually spends time with him for more than just the video games he's got at home, or the hot chocolate his Momma makes for him and his friends when he invites them over.

The recess bell rings, and it takes Dave a moment to convince his legs to move. He can barely feel anything, despite being properly bundled up for the weather. He shuffles inside, and the rows of cubbies immediately catch his eye. The shelf above it is filled with Valentines mailboxes that the students made to exchange gifts. They're all brightly colored in reds and pinks and whites, covered in near-obnoxious amounts of hearts and stickers and glitter.

When they started making them, the teacher had them all pitch in to help make Klaus and Ben's boxes, sitting side by side away from everyone else's. Dave did most of it, though, since he knew what they'd like their boxes to look like best. Ben's is fairly simple in terms of Valentines-themed decor, as he knows his bookish friend isn't fond of the holiday. In fact, he finds it quite bothersome, and prefers to have as little to do with it as possible. So Dave made the mailbox a solid, deep red, with a pattern of tiny little black hearts and X's in neat rows all across it in marker- Ben was always a stickler for details. Dave likes to think that he would approve.

Klaus' box is quite the opposite. It's the brightest, most painful shade of pink Dave could find, with large hearts of varying sizes and colors all across it. It's somewhat hard to pay attention to the details, though, since Dave also dumped an entire bottle and a half of glitter on the outside  _and_ inside of the box, some of which is still loose and falls like a shower of pixie dust at the slightest touch.

Klaus really, _really_ liked glitter.

Something tells Dave he'd like the mailbox he made for him, too.

When the time comes to pass out the Valentines, Dave does his usual rounds with everyone else, dropping off lollipops in everyone's mailboxes. When he's done, he goes over to the two mailboxes the teacher put away from all the others.

He feels kind of guilty, since he didn't initially have much prepared for Ben- he hates the holiday, after all, and it wasn't as if Dave knew this was going to happen. But he went by the store again last week, and bought a book he thinks Ben might enjoy. He leaves it at Ben's mailbox, atop the mountains of candy and cards the other students left him, and turns to Klaus'.

Despite being stuffed with candy, the boxes feel crushingly lonely on the windowsill away from everyone else. The glitter seems almost mournful, as if it needs Klaus' special touch to truly bring it to life. Dave rests the teddy bear atop it, the card tucked under its arm, and the candy bag is shoved inside.

He hopes they would like the gifts he chose for them. He hopes they'll come back soon, and tell him what they think of it. He hopes he can see them again.

Dave walks away from the mailboxes, and sits at their table alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone that isn't familiar with some of the terminology I might use, a 'cubby'/'cubbies' are basically these large baskets they have in some elementary schools that they use instead of lockers. Since, y'know, not every six-year-old will know how to unlock one of those. They usually have shelves to put the cubbies in, and they label them so we know whose is whose. If you need any clarification on any unfamiliar words I might use, just let me know!


	11. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus learns what it means to truly fear something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all thought those last two chapters were sad?? Y'AINT SEEN NOTHIN YET
> 
> WARNING- shock collar :)

Klaus watches the woman hum idly as she wheels the cart to one side of the room and gets to work.

She visits him daily, delivering all his meals and guiding him to the bathroom at fixed points in the day. Klaus isn't sure  _when_ those times are, just that it feels like the same stretch of time after every meal in which she comes through the door to escort him to the rest room.

He has a rough estimate of how long he's been there, based on how many times he's put to bed, and is able to guess whenever night approaches from whether or not she comes with a towel for him to use for the shower. But there are no clocks, no windows, and none of the doors have doorknobs. In other words, he has no sense of the hour, no sight of the skies to even hold onto the faint hope of escape- and he can't even fool himself by fiddling with any knobs.

The lady smiles at him kindly as she hands him his tray, as if she finds nothing wrong with the situation they're in. He wonders if she even cares, or if the smile is completely fake. Does she not realize that he's been kidnapped? Does she not have an issue with that? Is she the reason he's here in the first place?

"Good morning, dear," she greets warmly. "Did you sleep well?" Her voice is sweet, and in any other circumstance Klaus thinks he would be quite charmed.

Unfortunately for the both of them, they are not in those other circumstances.

Instead of properly responding, Klaus simply asks, "What's your name?" The woman freezes, then returns to her work in such a brief span of time that Klaus almost misses it.

"I can't tell you that, dear, you know that. I'm sorry. But you can call me anything you'd like." Her smile is back with full force as she beams at him in what seems to him an attempt to blind him with its radiance. It would've worked if Klaus wasn't an Addams.

Klaus shifts to curl back up again, having finished his oatmeal, when the woman speaks up again. "Today is special, Klaus," she tells him. "You're going to be doing something today." She encourages him to stand, and, as per usual when leaving the room, blindfolds him before guiding him outside. He doesn't know how long he walks for, but eventually they stop and she lets him take off the cloth.

He's greeted by the sight of another room, but this one is much larger and looks somewhat like a gym. There are weights and other gear all around, and he can tell just by looking that the door is much thicker here, likely to prevent any escape attempts with the weaponry. He's about to ask the woman what they're there for, when he hears static coming from the ceiling. "You're barely on time," a man says.

"I apologize sir, we were just finishing up breakfast." The woman reports. There's a slight pause, as if the man is weighing the worth of the excuse.

"Very well. But he better not vomit on anything, or he'll be the one to clean it up. Now, put it on him." The lady's smile is frozen, plastered to her lips.

"Of course, sir." She turns to Klaus, who looks at her in a mix of fear and confusion. "Don't worry, dear," she says, as she pulls something out of the pocket of her skirt, "this is just for safety." Before he can ask exactly  _what_ about  _any_ of this is for safety, she gets behind him and fastens something around his neck. With a cold _click,_ it's locked in place. Klaus' hand immediately flies up to his neck, and upon recognizing what it is, he almost throws up.

"Now, you will think twice before attempting to shirk your duties." The man's voice sounds even colder than before, beyond clinical or objective and right in the realm of heartless and empty. Klaus' heart thunders in his chest as he tries to claw the collar off him.

He falls to the ground when overcome with a flood of pain, choking and wheezing. "Keep doing that, and I'll electrocute you again. Are we clear?" Klaus nods fervently once the pain relents, gasping for breath. "Good." The man says again. "Now hurry up and get to work. I want you to use your telekinesis to lift the weights in the far left corner for as long as you can. I'll be timing you." Klaus struggles to get to his feet, knees shaking as he attempts to do as his captor asks. He hears the door slide open and closed, signalling the woman's departure, and has to fight back tears, lest his captor punish him again.

* * *

When it's all over, Klaus is sore and barely able to move. His head throbs from the overuse of his powers, and his body aches from the amount of times he's been electrically shocked throughout the session. He has no idea how long it's been, but it feels like it's been eons.

He's finally released into the care of the lady, who walks him back to his room and gives him lunch. When he finishes his meal, she asks if he would like to take a shower, but he's so exhausted that he can barely speak. He simply shakes his head, and she nods.

"That's quite alright, sweetie," she says, moving to take the collar off of him. She tucks it back into her skirt pocket, and pets his hair. Klaus doesn't have the energy to recoil, but his skin crawls at the feeling. His parents pet his hair as a way to comfort him and show affection. He likes it when they do it, because it makes him feel loved and safe. This, this feels like a perversion of their love, and Klaus can't help but feel a little sick. He doesn't want anyone else petting his hair but his family.

The woman retreats, still humming softly, as she puts everything back in her cart and wheels it away. Klaus gives into his fatigue, and falls asleep the second the door shuts.

* * *

It is cold and dark and quiet in the Addams household, and for once, no one enjoys it.

It is cold and dark and quiet, and no one enjoys it, because there is nothing for them to enjoy anymore.

Klaus and Ben are still missing.

No one seems to know what to do with themselves anymore. Grandmama hasn't baked her cookies in a long time, or even made any potions. Mother is too miserable to even enjoy the misery. Her rose garden blooms with blood red roses because she doesn't see the point in to cutting off the heads anymore. Father never plays his favorite album around the house to entice Mother into dancing with him. He doesn't even work most days. And Pugsley hasn't bothered going to school, either. Neither has Wednesday, but Pugsley has always enjoyed school more than she.

In fact, the only thing most of them seem to do other than mope is pour over papers and obsessively listen to the news, or stand by the phone in the hopes of compelling it to ring with a call about any developments.

It seems that they've all put their lives on hold, now that they've lost their youngest members. Wednesday hasn't even read any ritual books lately, because all she's done has been flipping through the news and researching child abductions. And it angers her.

It angers her, because for the first time in her life she feels utterly useless.

She can't find the bastard(s) that took her brothers, she can't stab their eyes out or go back in time to stop them from ever laying a hand on them in the first place. She can't even keep her little brothers safe anymore, because they've disappeared, they're gone, and no matter what kind of hopes she may have, there's no guarantee that she'll ever see them again.

She's failed, she's _useless,_ and now all she can do is sit here.

* * *

He wakes to the sound of television.

It takes him a moment, but he recognizes it as Wednesday's favorite horror movie. He can hear the characters screaming and begging for mercy, and the cackling of the villain as he relishes in their suffering. The smell of cookies makes its way to him, and he can tell immediately that it's Grandmama's recipe.

The room is bright, but he recognizes it as his own as he looks around, and he sees that the curtains have been opened for the first time in what's probably forever.

He's in bed, so he sits up, wondering just what he'd been dreaming about. It must've been horrible, since he still feels shaky and scared even after waking. He's in his favorite pajamas, though, and the stuffed animal Pugsley won him at a rigged stand is perched on the pillow beside him, so he grabs it for comfort as he gets out of the blankets.

He steps out into the hallway, hoping that Grandmama will give him cookies in the morning if he whines enough. "Hello again, Klaus." He nearly jumps out of his skin, turning to find a figure standing in front of the window at the end of the hall. It's a girl, and though she seems familiar, he can't seem to place where he's met her.

"Do i know you?" He asks, creeping towards her slowly. He thinks he should feel scared, but for some reason he doesn't. She smiles, still staring out the window.

"That's an interesting question, isn't it?" She says in lieu of a response. Klaus doesn't think so, but figures it's not worth pointing out. Finally, she turns to look at him, and he recognizes her.

She looks a bit different somehow, without the unfocused gaze or the absent swaying, but he recalls her as the strange girl he met on Halloween, on his way to Diego's house.

"It's you," he says, as if expecting her to know what he means. Surprisingly, she does, and her smile widens as she giggles. There's a twinkle in her eye, and Klaus is struck by how odd it feels to see her gaze actually focusing on something. It feels as if she finally _sees_ him, which is quite strange, since she's never been blind to begin with.

"Yes, I am me," she agrees. "Though I prefer Fran." Fran moves to sit in Ben's cushy window chair, crossing one leg over the other in a surprisingly dainty manner.

"Fran, then," Klaus corrects. "Can I ask what you're doing here, Fran? I was about to go downstairs and have some cookies." She looks at him with a modicum of what looks like pity, though Klaus can't understand why.

"I certainly apologize for my abrupt intrusion, but I don't believe cookies are what you will find down there. Certainly not the kind you'd like." Klaus frowns.

"What do you mean? Grandmama's the best baker. I always love her cookies." Again, the sad stare is back.

"I regret being the one to inform you, Klaus, but there are no cookies. None that you can eat, at least. This is a dream, Klaus. There is nothing downstairs." Klaus blinks, and immediately memories of the real world flood his mind, of the field trip, of the attack- of where he is now. He stumbles back with the force of it, and hates the way Fran continues to look at him with pity.

He looks out the window, and sure enough there isn't actually anything there- just pure sunlight, and the way that it doesn't burn his eyes is testament enough to the fabrication of this world. "This- this isn't real?" His eyes are wide and sad, and Fran smiles at him with just as much sadness.

"I wouldn't say that," she murmurs.

"But- you said this is a dream. Dreams aren't real. Which means you aren't real either, right? Because this is just a dream," he babbles, and Fran's expression takes on a different, unidentifiable light.

"Not quite," she says. "Like most things, it depends. Dreams can be a reflection, or a window, or a door. They can be rabbit holes, too." She chuckles somewhat fondly at that, as if remembering some obscure reference that Klaus doesn't understand. "It's only 'not real' if we refuse to let it be. And, just the same, it is only 'real' if we allow it to be. Though I admit, that is often more difficult for many." Klaus hasn't the slightest idea what Fran is talking about, but also has a faint feeling that she isn't likely to elaborate.

"i apologize," Fran twines her fingers together, and, as she most often does, smiles up at him. "I seem to be getting a bit ahead of myself. I will stop there." She gestures to the chair beside her. "Why don't you sit? We must return at some point, but for now, let's simply talk." Klaus doesn't really feel like talking, but he also doesn't want to wake up and face the next morning, and if this is what it takes to stall for time, he's entirely ready to do it.

He joins her by the window, and they speak for what feels like eternity.

* * *

Klaus can't help the deep pang of sadness he feels when he wakes up the next morning.

The lady is back again, cheerfully waking him up with a bowl of oatmeal and some fruits. While he eats, she hums as she brings in her cleaning supplies and begins to clean what Klaus didn't realize was ever dirty in the first place. The room is, after all, completely empty and a pure white, but apparently that isn't enough for his kidnappers, who must have declared that any room, cell or not, needs to be absolutely spotless.

A few days ago they brought in a bed for him, since he'd began to 'settle down', as they liked to put it. While it is certainly an upgrade from sleeping on the floor without so much as a blanket or pillow, it was still terribly cheap for people who can afford to have- what appears to be- a secret high-tech building that they've most certainly customized to lack windows and have metal mechanical doors.

Klaus doesn't remember much of what he spoke of with Fran, but one thing sticks with him long after the dream. There isn't necessarily anything particularly different in the way she said it, or even in the meaning- since, like everything else she's said, it was completely confusing. Still, he thinks about it even as he gets ready for the day, even as he's led to the training room and collared and put to work. "You are different," she says, "extremely. Not from the others around you, but from your own self. It's a pity, what had happened before, what is still happening even now. But take solace knowing that this time, Pandora will be safe."

* * *

The air is stolen from Klaus' lungs as the metal bar slams into him again.

He crumples to the ground, only to be told to get up, before there's a countdown to the shock collar going off. He scrambles to his feet, mind spinning. Were there always three sets of everything here?

Before he can shake the dizziness from his brain, the robot slams back into him, this time lifting him off his feet as the machine speeds headfirst towards the wall. He throws himself off just in time, his levitation barely being able to hold up and merely slowing his descent to the ground. Klaus tries to collect himself as quickly as possible, the sound of the robot whirring behind him spurring him into an adrenaline-induced state of numbness as he ignores the fire in his nerves and rolls out of the way just in time.

The robot zips by him, only stopping a few seconds before hitting into the weight rack ahead of it. Klaus uses that momentary pause to send the machine flying with his telekinesis, watching it land a few feet away with a large crash.

His heart thunders in his chest as he watches to make sure it's actually down. The bot twitches, then makes a 'fizz-pop' sound. Finally, it ceases to move.

The young telekinetic struggles to steal as much oxygen as he can while allowed this momentary pause. He isn't sure whether or not there is something else left in store for him, so he is determined to take full advantage of this break, however brief.

The intercom crackles to life above him. "You were only fifteen seconds quicker today," the man reports. His voice is completely disinterested. "Barely adequate." At first, this kind of snubbing, demeaning attitude would make anger flare in Klaus' chest, feeling degraded beyond belief. But it's been a long, long time here, so his only reaction is a fractional slump of his shoulders. Nothing he ever does seems good enough for this man, and yet he insists on keeping Klaus instead of simply deciding he isn't worth it and letting him go.

"'M sorry," He says the words like they've been rehearsed; at this point, they certainly are, regardless of how flat his tone is. Klaus isn't sure who he thinks he's fooling, since both of them know he's the farthest from feeling sorry for anything.

"You are, are you?" The man says contemplatively. Klaus doesn't like the way he sounds thoughtful as he says it, but can't bring himself to worry. What's the point of worrying? He's never getting out of here. It doesn't matter what this man does to him, because at the end of the day they're going to drag him back to his cell and make him repeat it again and again, day after day, until they get bored of whatever they're doing to him and up the ante even more. They're never going to stop. Not until he's dead, at least. 

Actually, he's probably going to die here.

That thought doesn't scare him as much as it used to.

Because maybe if he dies, he can become a ghost and walk through the walls and go back to his family. If he dies, they can't hurt him anymore. If he dies, the pain will stop. If he dies, this nightmare will all be over.

He trudges back to the holding cell, body on autopilot as he goes through the motions of preparing for bed. He peels off the athletic wear they gave him, and showers, before throwing on that cheap hospital gown and crawling into the thin blankets. He wonders if, if he tries hard enough, he can sleep forever and never wake up.

* * *

Klaus has never been the patient kind.

He's always been hyperactive, bouncing off the walls and unable to stay at everyone else's pace. It was as if he could never run out of energy.

It wasn't long into his captivity before he realizes that isn't true in the slightest.

In fact, Klaus can't seem to remember a time in which he'd ever had any energy at all. He feels entirely dead on his feet at all times, filled with a form of exhaustion that has nothing to do with how much sleep he gets. It's a bone-deep fatigue, and Klaus feels like his very soul has been chained to an anchor.

It doesn't take long for his captor to become aware of his lethargic behavior, since it isn't as if Klaus bothers to hide it. Why would he, anyways? He's never going to escape from here. He's going to die in this place, wherever this is, where the sun doesn't exist and the rooms are eggshell white and his body is covered in fresh bruises every day.

Eventually, when he is perhaps halfway through another torture session, his body gives in. He simply collapses right then and there, his limbs refusing to follow his commands as he remains sprawled on the floor. This is it, Klaus thinks; one of the few thoughts he has at all lately. This is it. His body is shutting down. He's going to die here. He must be, or else he wouldn't be shivering, feeling hollow and cold and unable to do anything, like a puppet cut from its strings.

The man on the intercom, of course, takes full offense to Klaus' inability to feel 97% of himself, and electrocutes him immediately. Unfortunately for him, his master plan of using incredibly strong shocks works against him because then Klaus has an excuse to not do anything anymore. After all, how is he supposed to get up and train if he can barely feel his own body? So, yes, Klaus decides, joke's on that guy.

The man doesn't seem to share the same sense of humor, since he electrocutes him again. Which is still counter-intuitive, because now he can feel himself even _less_ than before, meaning now he's almost entirely unaware of the violent tremors wracking his body, rather than only moderately aware. So, ha.

After a third or fourth shock, in which Klaus begins to smell colors, the man on the intercom finally decides to switch tactics. He leaves the microphone for a minute, perhaps to prepare something.

"You're going to regret your insolence," the man hisses. Klaus wants to yell at him to go to hell, but he can only manage something similar to "blrrghh hhrrrghhh", which actually sounds more like gurgling to the rhythm of a garbage disposal than actual words.

Out of nowhere, a screen comes down from the ceiling, which is actually what makes Klaus' thinks he's officially lost it at first (actually, no, he's still definitely lost it, judging by the way he's now seeing sound), until the man speaks again.

"You're definitely going to regret your insolence. After all, you're not going to be the one paying for it." The screen turns on, and it's then that Klaus confirms that, yes, he's definitely in hell and no longer alive. Because only hell could be this awful. " _He_ is," the man says, voice curling in disgusting glee around each word. The 'he' in question is on the screen, unaware of what's happening on the other side.

Laying unconscious in a hospital bed, skin paler than the February snow, is Ben.

* * *

If Klaus thought he knew what fear was like before, he was wrong. _This_ is fear. This is what it's like to be scared for life- for someone _else's_ life, and Klaus thinks it shouldn't have been nearly as scary as fighting for his own, but he was wrong.

Because Ben is unconscious somewhere in this building, and if he doesn't do everything exactly as he should in exactly the way he's told, Ben will get hurt, and it will be completely and unarguably Klaus' fault.

He's scared because it's _Ben,_ his brother, someone he loves more than anything that doesn't deserve to be hurt or scared or anything other than safe and happy and cared for, and Klaus is so, _so_ scared because if he doesn't do as the man says, then Ben won't be able to have any of those things and it'll be _all Klaus' fault._

And it's definitely his fault no matter what, because the man told him that Ben has hypothermia and pneumonia and a bunch of other long, confusingly-worded conditions that pretty much mean he might die, and all because he went looking for Klaus on his own when he went missing. (When Klaus was _stupid_ and _weak_ enough to get stolen, his traitorous mind hisses.)

The man reassures Klaus that he won't do anything _yet,_ and will instead consider this a warning for Klaus to do better _or else,_ and Klaus doesn't think he's been more angry and more terrified and more _guilty_ in his entire life. His worries are eased only marginally when the man promises him that he can see his brother when he wakes up- _if_ he stays a _'good boy'_ and does whatever he's told.

Klaus has always hated rules, but suddenly he feels they're becoming more and more appealing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't as long, or nearly as good, but it needed to be written to get to the better stuff. Hope you enjoyed anyway!


	12. Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben awakens. Luther learns a lesson. The game is set.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ngl i lost half this chapter earlier and I cried which is why it took me so long to finish it and post it, sorry :/

Ben wakes to the sound of a beeping monitor and the sting of blinding overhead lights.

He lays there, completely still, mind too sluggish to form any thoughts. He blankly stares straight ahead of him, until a woman comes into the room with a cart and a sweet little tune.

She smiles when she realizes he's awake. "Good morning," she says, gently, and Ben only continues to stare at her. "It's so good to see you've woken up! Your brother's been very worried about you." Those words jump-start his brain immediately.

Klaus.

Where is he? He wants to see his brother, wants to curl up against him and hear him chatter inanely like he always does. Where is Klaus?

Ben tries to voice his question, only to let out a strangled, dying noise. The woman hushes him softly and brings him water. "Hold on. You've been unconscious for a while, so you need to take it slowly, sweetie." Despite his brain still being muddled, Ben can't help the immediate skin-crawling sensation that washes over him in reaction to her words. Something about them feel inherently wrong, as if she shouldn't be saying that. Why shouldn't she be saying that again?

Ah, yes. Only his family calls him by terms of affection. It feels awkward coming from a stranger, and the blinding smile on her face exacerbates the discomfort. The negative reaction clears his mind a little, and he has to push down the panic when he realizes that not only is this _not_ a room he recognizes, but that it's also not a hospital, either. Hospitals don't have heavy-duty doors you'd find in spacecrafts. Hospitals don't have completely empty rooms without windows or cabinets or even just a simple nightstand.

The lady doesn't seem to pick up on his panic, as she continues humming and unpacking a kit. Ben tries to rasp out a question- what, he isn't sure yet- but when she hears him struggling, she shushes him softly once more.

"Your throat is very weak right now, honey. I think you should wait til you settle a little, okay? Don't worry, I'll get you some breakfast in a minute, but I have to run some tests and you have to take your medicine." She goes back to the kit, taking out a syringe filled with liquid and prepping it. Ben doesn't have the strength to struggle as she sings a little tune likely meant to soothe him. He watches her inject his arm and press a cotton ball to it.

"There, all better," she coos, smiling widely. "That wasn't so bad, right?" And it wasn't. Ben has never been the squeamish type, not in a family like his, and definitely not for something as mundane as needles. In fact, visits to the doctor used to enthrall him when he was younger, as he'd come with a boatload of questions about the worst ways to injure someone while administering a shot. (There's a reason why he rarely saw the same doctor twice.)

The woman examines the machinery attached to him, making sure that his vitals were fine and taking out the IV drip. "I'll be right back with that breakfast, sweetie." She wheels the cart away, and the door automatically slides shut behind her.

* * *

The next thing Ben hears is the sound of the door sliding open. He keeps his eyes closed, thinking it must be that caretaker woman again, until the visitor gasps and whispers, "Benny?" The boy's eyes fly open, recognizing the voice that is more familiar to him than his own. His sight is flooded by a blur of pale skin and dark hair when his visitor flings himself at Ben, weight pressing the boy back into the bed.

"It's you," Klaus sobs, squeezing his brother tighter. "I- it's you, you're here, you're awake-"  Ben is frozen, brain unable to comprehend what's currently unfolding. It's when he feels his brother's tears begin to soak his clothes that his arms finally manage to wrap themselves around Klaus' shaking frame.

"You're alive," Ben murmurs, that singular thought being the only one repeatedly running through his head. Klaus is here, he's alive, he's with Ben and he's never going to let him out of his sight ever again.

"You were unconscious for so long, I thought- I thought-" Klaus chokes, opting to press closer to his brother as an alternative to finishing his sentence. "He said you were really sick," Klaus mutters, "'Cause you were looking for me in the cold. I'm so sorry, Benny, I'm so sorry." Klaus continues sobbing, and Ben becomes more and more confused. He? He, who?

"Klaus, where- where are we? What's going on?" Ben pulls back a little to get a look at his brother's face. Klaus resists, not wanting even a centimeter of space between them. When Ben is finally able to examine his brother, his blood runs cold when he sees strange marks on Klaus' neck, and the deep bags under his eyes. His fingers trace over the scars, making Klaus flinch.

"Who- who did this? What happened?" Klaus avoids his gaze, so Ben grabs both sides of his face and lifts it to meet his own. "Klaus?" The mere utterance of his name seems to make the boy crumble, and he starts crying again.

"I-it's all my- my fault," he says between sobs, "H-he-he says- says I have to be good, but I- I'm not good enough, Benny, I try, I promise I do, but it's so _hard,_ Benny, I- I can't-" Klaus throws himself back into his brother's arms, crying too hard to speak properly. Ben, mind spinning, is unable to do anything more than hold him tighter.

"I've been really, really good, Benny, I really have," Klaus insists once he's calmed down enough to speak. "He said he'd only let me see you if I was good, y'see, so I tried my absolute best, I promise, I really have, I did everything he asked so I could see you when you woke up." Ben still doesn't know what's happening, but he feels sicker and sicker at the words coming out of his brother's mouth.

"Klaus, who is _'he'?_ What does he make you do?" He grips Klaus' shoulders tightly, and Klaus looks at him with a strange, wide-eyed expression.

"I don't know," he whispers. "I never see him. But, Benny, he's got speakers in the walls to tell me what to do, and- and he has cameras, and the doors don't have knobs so we can't open them without his permission, and he controls everything here, Benny, he locks the doors and turns on and off the lights and there's nothing he can't see down here." Ben's shaking by the end of it, not sure if he wants to ask his next question, certain that he already knows the answer. But he has to ask, has to _know._

"What- what does he do to you? When you don't listen? What does he do?" Wordlessly, Klaus reaches a hand to his neck, gingerly pressing the marks Ben examined just a few minutes earlier. Upon closer inspection, Ben realizes that they're burn marks, and he doesn't think he's ever felt this cocktail of rage and sorrow and terror so strongly before.

"I'm going to kill him," Ben whispers, and his Horrors rumble in agreement. "I'm going to make him come down here, and I'm going to kill him." He pulls Klaus back into his arms. Klaus doesn't have it in him to tell Ben what little faith he has in that plan, and opts instead to relish in his brother's warmth.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Fran looks up at Luther as he enters the kitchen and smiles genially.

"Adding to our grocery list." He looks over at the paper and frowns.

"What do we need cat food for?" She looks at him strangely.

"Mr. Midnight."

"Who?"

"My cat, of course!" Fran says, as if this is obvious. Luther furrows his brows.

"But we don't have a cat." Fran looks at him as if _he_ is the mad one here.

"Certainly not! Reginald would have quite the fit. I said that he is _my_ cat." She finishes writing her addition to the list, then folds it neatly and leaves it on the counter.

Luther doesn't really know how to respond to this, so he decides to completely change the subject. "Alright, well, don't ask for too much, we shouldn't be focusing on anything other than the Academy anyways." He straightens his posture, attempting to look as imposing as Father does. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." He heads up the stairs and is admittedly surprised when he hears Fran following after him.

He makes it to his room, expecting his sister to leave for her own, only to find her come in behind him. Luther sets his books on the desk and frowns. "What do you want?" She says nothing, only staring at his books. They're all on leadership, from how to be a leader to biographies on the greatest in history. His siblings failed to follow his command during group training for the millionth time, meaning Luther isn't a good enough leader and they aren't good enough subordinates. Atop the pile is a novel he's carried with him for over a year now. _The Prince._ Luther flushes, embarrassed without knowing exactly why.

"I _said,_ what do you _want?"_ He stands and storms towards the smaller sibling, chest puffed in as intimidating a posture as he can possibly manage. On any other day, he would not react with such anger, but for the past week not a single sibling has followed his lead, and the feeling of failure and disappointment from his father has been piling up until this moment. Fran finally looks up at him.

She stares at him in silence for a moment. "Fear is not as strong as love." Luther blinks at her, taken aback.

"What?"

She tilts her head and examines him, searching for something. "Fear is not as strong as love," she repeats. "Fear is not what makes someone a good leader- or a good brother." Luther flinches.

"It's better to be feared-"

"No, it is not. It truly is not." She gets further into his space, staring him dead in the eye. "Because it is much easier to lose fear than it is to lose love. What happens when they stop fearing you? _I_ don't fear you. So when the opportunity comes for each of us to choose between staying here and walking our own paths, what reason will I have, if not fear, to stay with you?" Her smile is wry, and Luther suddenly cannot help the small trembling in his hands at the thought of being abandoned by his siblings.

"But- Machiavelli-"

"-Wrote for kings, who wished to rule uncontested by their subjects." Fran furrows her brows in a mockery of confusion. "Are we merely subjects to you?" Luther shakes his head fervently. Her expression softens. "Then do not heed advice not meant for you."

She guides him to his bed and sits beside him, and Luther is relieved to be off his feet, for his knees were becoming rather weak. "Luther, think of Caligula, or any other tyrant kings and emperors of old. What happened to them? Caligula was most certainly feared. And how did he end?"

Luther swallows thickly. "His people killed him."

"Correct. Of course, I do not mean to say you will be killed, but rather that fear will often motivate people to turn _against_ you, not _to_ you."

"But what about all the other leaders? There are tons of kings and emperors and leaders that everyone loved who still got killed."

"Indeed. But you see, the difference between them and those who grasp power through fear, is that their lives were cut short by enemies, not their own people." Fran allows him to consider her words for a moment. "If what you fear has become disadvantaged, you will do as you can to destroy it. But if it is what you love, you will go to great lengths to save it. If you continue to strive to achieve leadership through fear, you will never truly become a leader."

Luther frowns, mind still slowly processing her words. "Then," he starts, after a minute of silence, "then what about you? You're not afraid of me. No one is, actually, even though I try to be feared. Why do you still stick around?" Fran giggles, and pats his cheek. It should feel strange, since she is the same age as him, and yet rather than uncomfortable, he likens the action to something an older sibling would do.

"Because, Luther, you are my brother, my family. I do not fear you, because I love you. We all do." His chest feels undeniably warm at the words, and he can't find it in himself to respond. "However, that does not mean we will stay here forever. Sometimes, love isn't enough. This house is soaked in fear, and one day, it will drive many of us away from it- from you, even, if things do not change. If you choose to stay- if you choose to continue pursuing power through fear, love will take us elsewhere. Love for music, for freedom, for discovery or knowledge- it will guide us somewhere far, far away, and it will be long before any of us dare return."

* * *

Ben snarls as he tears apart another robot with his tentacles. A few meters away, Klaus uses his telekinesis to lift a bot in the air and slam it into the ground, effectively crushing it. He stumbles from the overuse of his powers, and a tentacle shoots out to steady him on instinct.

"You okay?" Ben asks, somewhat breathless. Klaus nods absently, despite Ben clearly being able to see how unsteady he is on his feet. Klaus looks seconds from passing out, and Ben knows it won't be long before their captor notices as well. But Ben is nowhere near hopeless enough to simply  _watch_ him hurt Klaus.

As if on cue, the ceiling speakers crackle to life. "Barely adequate. Continue training." There's a click as the wall to their left dispatches more robots. Ben sees the sheer amount of them flooding the room, and the subtle tremor of exhaustion seizing Klaus' body, and decides enough is enough.

"No," he shouts, glaring at the ceiling. "We're done here."

"You don't get to make that decision." The robots move faster, and Cthulhu bats three of them away in a single sweep. He snatches the remains of a wrecked machine and flings it at one of the speakers.

"Let. Us. _Out."_

"You're going to regret that." Klaus crumples to the ground, trying his best to stay conscious as he's overwhelmed with electric shocks, and Ben sees  _red._

He can hear the Horrors roaring in his core as they reach out, clawing and grasping at his brother. The tentacles curl around the other boy and pull. Klaus goes still, and the fog in Ben's mind clears. He stares blankly at the shredded remnants of the collar, then at his brother, whose ragged breath is finally evening out, bit by bit.

Ben knows what's coming next, and almost welcomes the pain as his own collar electrocutes him. He isn't sure if it's the rage, or the determination, or even a naturally high pain tolerance, but he doesn't fall like Klaus does. He grits his teeth and welcomes the roaring, wailing,  _screeching_ of the beasts as they grasp at his throat, tugging and tugging until the collar gives and breaks in a similar manner to his brother's. He's brought to his knees, gasping for breath. He can't afford to pass out now, but he can already feel the fatigue overwhelming him.

Ben pushes himself up, ignoring the blurring of his vision as he slings Klaus' arm over his shoulder and drags them both towards the door. Every step is slow and shaky, and Ben feels as if the world is tilting on its axis. He can't stop now, he reminds himself, his knees almost giving in at every slight motion. His bones feel like jello, or perhaps wet noodles. His breath rattles in his chest, and he walks straight into the door. Cthulhu is tired, and summoning him again makes his chest ache. The tentacles beat half-heartedly against the door, and Ben slides to the ground, attempting to collect himself.

As his breathing slows, his sight begins to darken, and without any amount of preamble Ben loses himself to unconsciousness.

* * *

It's the first time in a while since Five has actually relaxed outside. He sighs, rolling his shoulders and hearing them make that satisfying 'pop' noise. He should do this more often, he decides, completely ignoring the fact that the sole reason he's here is in a vain attempt to circumvent his obligations.

"It's been a while since I've seen you like this." Five looks up to see his sister standing above him. She sits down, tucking her knees into her chest.

"Lazing about?" Fran shakes her head.

"Peaceful."

Five is rather taken aback by this, not fully realizing until now just how much time he's put into researching time travel. He's barely done anything else, too obsessed with his work to care.

"It's good," his sister continues. "I missed seeing you look so calm. Vanya misses spending time with you too." Five feels guilty at this, realizing it's been a few months since he last sat in on Vanya's violin practice. She must've been lonely, he thinks, seeing as few people in this house bother to acknowledge her existence.

"It's not your fault. You are chasing something brighter, which I understand. You have so much potential, and I would never wish for you to ignore it. But, please, remember that it isn't always about what you _could_ do, but what you _can_." They continue to spend time together, switching between idle conversation and companionable silence.

"I'll admit, it feels good not being stuck between being wrapped up in my work and our Academy stuff. I can't wait til I can get out of here." Fran watches him quietly.

"You know," she says suddenly, "this house is much larger than you think." Five furrows his brows in confusion, and she responds with a smile. "It wouldn't hurt to explore, don't you think? To take your mind off of your research. You should take Charlie with you." His sister stands, then pats down her skirt. "Come see me whenever you'd like. You don't need to wait for an excuse." His sister presses something into the palm of his hand. He looks at it, finding a Post-It with lines of random numbers and letters scribbled on it.

She disappears, leaving Five to contemplate.

* * *

Charlie quirks a brow as Five slams a Post-It note onto the table. "It there a reason a sticky note's got you so angry?"

"I'm not angry, I'm- _intrigued._ " His sister continues to stare at him rather dubiously, and he frowns. "Seriously. I have no idea what these things mean. I'm assuming it's some kind of code, but I'm not sure _what."_

Charlie sighs. "Well, where'd you get it? You're the one who wrote it down, right? So where'd you find it?" Five shakes his head.

"I have no idea where this is from. I got it from Fran." This, evidently, piques Charlie's interest, as she wordlessly bookmarks her novel and shuts it. Fran's favorite pastime is being infuriatingly cryptic, but few realize that the girl is entirely deliberate with everything she says and does. There's no way this isn't significant somehow.

Five smirks at his sister's blatant interest. He'll admit, he truly is intrigued by this little mystery Fran has set for them. It's quite nice to have something mentally stimulating to do that isn't related to time travel or the Academy. A nice little adventure, even. Whatever this is, it would be quite the satisfying discovery, he is sure.

"So, you're in?" Five asks, despite knowing the answer.

"What exactly did she say when she gave it to you?" Charlie inquires in lieu of a response. Five takes the seat in front of her and watches as she examines the note once more.

"I believe it was something along the lines of this place being bigger than we think, and that we should explore it. She told me to take you with me specifically." That gets Charlie to look up at him with wide eyes. A slow, mischievous smile spreads over her face.

"You know what this means, don't you?"

Five mirrors her grin. "Oh, yes." There is most definitely an adventure to be had. It appears that, for the first time in quite a while, the game is on.

* * *

Chaotic noises threaten to overwhelm Ben, who blearily clutches his ears. His mind swirls with confusion, and he pushes himself further into a corner. There's banging at the door, and people are screaming things that Ben can't decipher.

All of a sudden, the door gives in and the intruders storm inside, bright lights and wailing sirens blinding him. He throws his arms up to cover his face, trying to block everything out. Through the mess of it all, Klaus wakes too, just as terrified and disoriented as his brother. Suddenly, one of the people sees them in their corner of the room, and calls out.

"I found them!" They say, and Ben is too scared to wonder who they are or what they want with him and his brother. The strangers approach, and Ben presses himself closer to the wall on instinct, unable to get up and make his escape. He feels Klaus curling into him, burying his head in Ben in a vain attempt to hide.

"Benedict and Klaus Addams?" Someone asks. Their voice is commanding, but that's all that Ben can discern of it, scared as he is. The footsteps come closer. "This is the FBI. It's okay, you're safe now." Ben's heart stutters in his chest. Is that possible? Is it really over now?

It takes some coaxing, but eventually the officer manages to get Ben and Klaus to look at him. Indeed, he wears a bullet proof vest and he brandishes his federal badge in an effort to calm them. They're still quite skittish, but Ben inches closer to take a look. The man's eyes never leave them, large and expressive as he slowly pushes the badge closer.

"You're okay now," he insists, and slowly the rest of his team approach, some filtering in from the hallway after clearing it. "We're going to take you home now. Your family's waiting for you." He smiles tentatively at the boys, and reaches out a hand. "Come on, let's get you two out of here."

Ben is frozen for a minute, before his body starts trembling and he lets out a sob of relief. It's done. It's over now. They can go home. Klaus grips Ben's shoulder tightly, and Ben turns to look at him. He's wide-eyed, but not in the same way Ben is. "We can't," he says, voice too soft. "We can't go."

"What? Why- why not?" Ben asks, but Klaus only grabs him by both shoulders and starts to shake him.

"We can't go, we can't, we can't, we can't-" the shaking gets more furious, and Ben's mind starts swimming from the force.

He shoots up in bed, eyes wide and wild. They immediately find the woman standing over him, having just gently shaken him awake. Ben is heaving as if he just ran a few miles, and his heart pounds as he scoots away from her.

She's still smiling, telling him that it's time to get ready for their day. Ben looks down at the pressure on his side and finds Klaus curled into his side, as he seems to do so often lately. He's still quite sore, and the pain begins to light his nerves on fire now that the adrenaline is wearing off. He pulls his brother's body closer to his own and glares at the lady.

He should get Cthulhu to tear her apart, he thinks, but the resounding rumble of agreement takes his attention when he realizes how muted it sounds. He looks down and only then realizes that his heavy, constricted breathing wasn't completely a result of the dream, but was also likely related to the thick metal currently clutching his abdomen. The keypad on one side makes it clear that he won't be wiggling out of this one quite so soon.

The woman follows his line of sight. "It's a new safety measure," she says, smiling the same plastic smile as always. "So no one gets hurt." Hurt? As if the shock collars and over exhaustion don't hurt? Is this woman even human?

Still, they're forced to get ready for the day, and are, as usual, blindfolded and taken to the training room. She takes them one by one today, though usually if they sleep together she'll simply bring them down at the same time.

When they both make it to the training room, that blasted overhead speaker turns on again.

"I trust that your separation has taught you your lesson?" The man says. Ben blinks. What separation? Were they supposed to be separated last night?

The woman answers for them. "They've been very behaved all morning, sir," she says. It's subtle, but the grip she has on their shoulders tightens ever so minutely. Their captor hums contemplatively.

"Very well. Though we will still be doing double the work today, to remind you two just how important it is to follow rules." They don't get collared this time, though perhaps that's because the man only had two in the first place, or even that he learned his lesson about pushing them too hard, if only by a little bit. Either way, the woman gives them a less-than-plastic smile for the first time, before taking her leave. Ben doesn't have time to think about it, because the machines flood the room immediately after.

* * *

Fran watches through a crack in the door as Reginald goes about his nightly routine. Her hand twitches towards the letter opener when he pulls out his notebook and begins to scribble down his observations from the security cameras in the children's rooms. "Not yet," Mr. Midnight warns. Fran purses her lips.

"I understand that we agreed on this before, but I am beginning to forget why." 

He nips her ear from his place on her shoulder. "If you do, Remor wins, and Pandora becomes his." 

Fran sighs. "Yes, I am aware. It doesn't hurt to simply entertain the thought." She says this, fully knowing how dangerous it is for her to entertain _any_ thoughts. She turns away from Reginald's wretched face, returning to her room. Like many things in this life, she must wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yeah, didn't I tell you? Mr. Midnight is a cat :)  
> he's fifteen, alright- in cat years :D I meant it when I said his age depends on how you calculate it lol  
> And don't worry! There's a light at the end of the tunnel! The worst is almost over! There's only about a chapter left to the misery saga!


	13. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt is more than a hunt. Klaus and Ben will never be numbers. Everything goes up in flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wee woo wee woo! The end is coming! The end is coming! Strap in, bois, we're heading to the finish line!

Klaus grips Ben's arm when the lady comes back. It's been a particularly tough training session, and as he watches the woman come in humming and smiling, he can't help but feel like things are about to get so much worse. She's holding a cardboard box in her hands. The overhead speakers turn on again.

"Set it on the floor, Grace." Klaus freezes at the name. Grace. Grace. Why does it sound so familiar?

The woman complies with the orders and puts the box on the ground. "What's going on?" Ben asks.

"You will do well to learn to remain silent unless spoken to, Number Nine." Ben jerks up, eyes wide in incredulity. What the _fuck?_

"Excuse me?" Ben pulls his brother closer with a fierceness he hadn't known until today. Things are starting to click together at an uncomfortable and alarming rate, and Ben does _not_ like the picture that is slowly forming.

"As I said, do not speak unless given permission, Number Nine."

"My  _name_ is _Ben."_ Ben can feel the rage building in his chest. Klaus squeezes Ben again.

"Not anymore. It is Number Nine. Today, we will officially be doing away with all the senseless frivolities you two once enjoyed. Grace, give them their new uniforms." Grace does as told, opening the box at her feet and pulling out one of the cardigans. Ben's fear is confirmed, as he lays his eyes on the Umbrella Academy uniform.

"Grace, dress them."

"Certainly, sir."

* * *

"Find anything?" Five asks. Charlie frowns as she scours through the papers.

"Nah," she says. "Just a bunch of bank statements and other old people stuff. Nothing even remotely close to what we need." It's 1 a.m., and Charlie and Five have been searching for the secret code all day. They eventually determined that the one place most likely to have the answers to secret things is Reginald's office. They waited until midnight, when he has long since gone to bed, before sneaking out and digging around in his files.

They've gone through nearly every paper on his desk, and eventually had to resort to looking through his drawers. Problem is, almost every document worth snooping through has been put in one of the many locked compartments, meaning now Charlie and Five have to break into the drawers to crack the code Fran gave them. They probably should've hesitated when deciding whether or not they should cross this line, but it takes them all of 0.2 seconds before Five pulls out a paper clip and goes to work. Now, they're rifling through folder after folder in the hopes of finding anything even remotely useful to their hunt.

It turns out to be a bust, so it's Charlie's turn, and she pulls a bobby pin out of her hair and attacks the next drawer. It's somewhere into the third hour of their scavenging, and around an hour before Reginald typically wakes up and begins his morning routine, when the siblings strike gold.

"Ah-ha!" Charlie exclaims, holding up a rather ornate box triumphantly in the air. Five shushes her, and she whispers another 'ah-ha', waving the box at him. Five moves over to her, examining the object. It's tiny, longer than it is wide, and it looks roughly the right size to put a book in and not much else. Five looks at his sister skeptically.

"You sure about this?" He whispers, still analyzing the box. She quirks a brow.

"Think about it," she says. "Literally all of his drawers are locked, but not a single thing _inside_ the drawer _is-_ not even his financial papers are important enough to him to put under two different locks. So what's in there that means so much to him?" Five's eyes widen as he takes a new interest in whatever Reginald is hiding. He looks up at her.

This might not be what they're looking for, but maybe that's the point. Maybe the keys mean nothing, but this is what they're supposed to find. It isn't the craziest idea in the world, seeing as it's Fran that put them up to this.

Charlie takes her bobby pin and uses it on the box. It isn't long before it opens with a resounding 'click'. She slowly lifts the lid, only to find exactly what they expected- a book. Five pulls it out, an expression torn between irritation and curiosity on his face. However, Charlie's eye is caught by what's left behind inside the box. A folded piece of blue grid paper lays innocently at the bottom, and Charlie unfolds it.

"What the hell?" She murmurs, and Five drops the book in favor of looking over her shoulder. She shifts to better show him what she's talking about.

"Looks like blueprints," Five mutters. And, to his credit, he's correct. It displays what looks like the floor plans of a large laboratory. Charlie looks around the room, hoping to figure out just what is so important about these blueprints that Reginald decided to hide them behind two different locks.

Her eye is caught by something sticking out from beneath the desk. She crawls inside, finding a sleek black box stuck to the side of the wood. Opening it reveals a keypad, and Charlie can't help but snort. The old bastard always had to be disgustingly complicated. Never could do a damn thing normally.

However, the keypad makes her think of the sticky note, and she takes it from Five to try out the first string. Five watches, and they both cringe at every beep they hear when she presses a button. Still, they're rewarded for their troubles when they hear a long, low tone, and the metallic sound of something unlocking.

Suddenly, the portrait behind them swings open and the siblings stifle their shrieks. They share a look, halfway between wondering if this is real life and if Reginald could possibly get any more goddamn dramatic. Eventually, Five works up the courage to investigate, finding the hole behind the wall containing a yet another box- this time, with a key. He grabs it and stuffs it in his pocket. They both know that it's time for them to get the hell out of there.

They quickly shove the book back inside the box, lock it, then put it inside the drawer it was in before, lock _that,_ then close essentially everything that has to do with their investigation- the portrait is put back in its place, the keypad closed, and the chair neatly positioned back under the desk. They don't bother with the papers, knowing they don't have time. Reginald will be there any minute.

Five grabs his sister's arm and teleports them out, not really thinking about the destination so much as his desire to leave. When they finally regain their bearings, they realize they don't recognize their surroundings.

"What is this place?" Charlie asks, quite alarmed, once she notices the bunker-level cell. "Is that a _cell?!_ Are we- we're in the basement, right?" The basement is the only place besides Reginald's office that is off limits to the children. It's the only place in the house that he could possibly keep something like this.

"It's gotta be," Five says, voicing Charlie's thoughts. However, there's nothing near or inside the cell. It seems like quite the dead end. Just as they're about to leave, Five notices an oddly-placed rug off in the corner of the room. He lifts it, wondering just how senile Reginald is going, revealing a trap door in the ground. Charlie rolls her eyes upon seeing what her brother is staring at.

"Really, that old geezer's oh-so-meticulous until it comes down to the wire. Where do you think he takes his villain lessons from? Disney?" Still, Five takes the key and unlocks the trapdoor. The siblings share another look, as if contemplating the utter insanity of what is unfolding before them. A brief pause, and then they dive in together.

* * *

Charlie's hands are shaking, and unlike what some may think, it isn't out of fear.

Charlie's hands are shaking because she can't believe what she's seeing with her own two eyes.

The room they find is dark and empty, save for the large array of buttons and switches and a large collection on screens on the wall. They don't know what this is supposed to be, at first, until Five steps forward and everything automatically boots up. The siblings jolt, hearts racing as the lights switch on without warning. The screens also flicker to life, and they don't know what they're looking at until something moves into view and Charlie chokes on air.

She rushes to the cameras, breath quickening as she ignores Five asking her what's wrong. When he comes to her side, she snatches his wrist in an ironclad grip. "Charlie, what-" He swears when he sees what she's looking at.

"Who are they?" His sister doesn't respond, but it's clear that she knows. "We- we have to get them out of there, we-" Five starts pacing, muttering under his breath. "Do you know where they are? I didn't see another door out there, maybe there's another trap door? I-" Five snaps his fingers. "The map! Charlie, the map, the one from the office- where'd you put the map?" Charlie remains unresponsive, glued to the screens.

 _"Charlie."_ He grabbed her shoulder and she finally turns to look at him. Her eyes are the size of saucers, her whole body trembling in that moment, and Five is frozen until he notices the sparks dancing around her fingertips, threatening to set fire to anything and everything. That's when he grabs her hand.

"I'm going to burn him alive," she murmurs, voice too quiet for her words. "I'm going to burn him alive, and then I'm going to burn his ashes."

"We can do that after we get them out of here."

In the end, it's up to Five to take the map and explore the laboratory, lest Charlie raze everything to the ground in her hair-trigger rage.

Meanwhile, her job is to stay in the security room and watch the surveillance cameras- and, hopefully, to see if any of those buttons or switches will do them any good. Five disappears in a flash of blue, and the pyrokinetic gets to work.

* * *

As he wanders through the underground dungeon lab, Five almost wants to laugh.

As it turns out, every string of code on the sticky note is a password of some kind. The first to open the portrait, the next to open the entrance of the lab just beyond the security room, and the third to open the metal sliding door to the west wing.

There are still a few more passwords left, and as he continues traversing through the halls, he can't help but think about how he'll probably have to use them all, what with the wild amount of keypads there are. And still, he can't help but want to laugh in a terrible way. Fran, in some strange turn of fate, managed to get her hands on all these passwords and for whatever reason gave all of them to him and Charlie to use.

He doesn't know if he'd sooner thank her or kill her, but hopes that somehow, she'll have a reasonable explanation for this.

He takes another turn, and that's when the overhead speakers turn on.

"Five? Can you hear me?" He looks up at the ceiling and gives Charlie a thumbs up. She gives a sigh of relief. "Okay. I found the mic, obviously, but it seems like I have to manually choose which speakers I use, so I don't know if I can reach Klaus and Ben- none of these buttons are labeled. But I found the phone, and- and I'm calling the cops, okay?" Five nods. "Um, the door here doesn't have a lock, so I don't know how long it'll take for the old man to find us, but I'll try to warn you ahead of time."

"Where are they?" He yells, hoping she'll hear him. It seems she does.

"The boys are down the hall. I think- they look like they're in solitary or something. The rooms are the size of cubicles. You'll probably need those passwords again."

* * *

When the Hargreeves siblings wake up the next morning, they know something is wrong.

For starters, Grace never comes to wake any of them up. There's no breakfast on the table, and Reginald, Five, and Charlie are nowhere to be found. They all stand there, whispering to each other about where everyone could be. Suddenly, their father comes storming down the stairs, eyes blown wide and looking absolutely livid.

None of the children are sure what to do, worried that something has gone terribly wrong. Reginald, as if just realizing his children are there, straightens his back. "Lessons are canceled for today. Grace and I will be busy, so go to Pogo for food and instruction." Without further ado, he turns on one heel and walks briskly down the stairs.

The kids continue standing in silence, until finally Luther hesitantly steps forward. "Come on, guys," he says, "let's get Pogo and ask him to make us breakfast." Fran smiles at him, and this encourages him to stand straighter and lead the rest of them up the stairs. If the circumstances were different, Luther would be jumping for joy upon realizing they, for once, are listening to him.

* * *

_"911, what's your emergency?"_

_"...."_

_"Hello? This is the police. What is your emergency?"_

_"I- please bring a lot of people."_

_"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but can you please clarify what kind of emergency this is?"_

_"My- my Dad- he's kidnapped two kids, and- and you need to send someone."_

_"Okay, sweetheart. We're gonna send police officers right now, okay? Just tell us your address and I'll send them immediately. Calm down, take deep breaths. I'd like you to stay on the line with me, is that alright?"_

_"I- I-... yes. That's okay. Uh, we live- I think we live in **********. My Dad doesn't like letting us out, so I'm not really sure. I- I can stay on the phone. I have to watch my brother, though, to make sure he gets through fine."_

_"Your brother?"_

_"He went to get them, the kids. They're in the basement, but it's big and there's locks on all the doors so I have to make sure he doesn't get lost."_

_"Okay, honey, but_ _I'd like you to stay where you are, okay? It'll make it easier for the police to find everyone."_

_"Okay. But I-"_

_"Hello? Hello, ma'am? What happened? Is everything okay?"_

_"...My Dad is coming. I think he knows I'm here."_

_"Is there a place you can hide?"_

_"...No."_

* * *

As it happens, the police are not the ones who arrive at the Hargreeves mansion. Having crossed state lines, it is the FBI that comes storming through the doors, terrifying the Hargreeves children and their butler. They're confused and scared, but they still manage to direct the officers to the basement. The officers flood the bottom floor, finding a cellar and a trap door left wide open.

It doesn't take them long to clear it, discovering a laboratory underneath. Unfortunately, they are unable to search the security room, for a fire has started in there, and the flames are already at the door. They grab the three boys and manage to evacuate everyone safely.

When the firefighters come and extinguish the flames, they search for the last child, at the frantic behest of the children. They find Charlie in the wreckage, unconscious and badly injured but alive. Remarkably- or perhaps unremarkably, in the eyes of the children- she is without any burns, despite being trapped in the fire when they arrived. She's carried out, and loaded into the ambulance with the two abducted boys.

They're rushed to the hospital, and the Addams family is there, having been the ones with the FBI on their payroll in the first place. They only heard about the incident shortly after the federal agents, but the Addams family has their ways of being where they need to be at any time.

* * *

The Addams family burst through the doors, finding their sons being checked by doctors on the hospital beds. An indescribable feeling floods both parties, and in the blink of an eye they're across the room, all tangled in a group embrace around their youngest boys.

"I miei tesori," Gomez chants under his breath. He kisses Klaus' forehead for the millionth time, and caresses Ben's cheek. Beside him, Morticia runs her hands through Ben's hair, cooing. Her other hand never leaves Klaus'. Wednesday, Pugsley, and Grandmama are all in some way latched onto them as well, a silent promise to never let go written firmly into their hearts.

"I missed you," Klaus chokes, burying himself deeper into their embrace. Ben nods in agreement, barely able to form words. "I missed you guys so bad."

"We spent every day looking, my dear. We knew we'd find you two again." Morticia whispers, and Ben is full-on sobbing. They're back, they're safe, and they're never going to let them out of their sight ever again.

Outside, in Charlie's room, the Hargreeves children have gathered around their unconscious sister. The doctors have told them that she'll wake and make a full recovery without a single doubt, but it doesn't stop the heavy feeling in their chests from weighing them down at the sight of her.

"What happened?" Allison asks softly, breaking the silence. Five takes a moment, gathering his words.

"They were in our basement. We had to get them out." Allison clenches a fist, the other one still holding Charlie's.

"He kidnapped them." She spits out, and the room fills with a tension they've never felt before. They all already know what this means- they're young, but not dumb. But it's one thing to understand something in your heart, and another entirely to admit it. "They're going to arrest him, aren't they? He's going to jail."

"W-w-we-well, g-good," Diego snarls. Throughout the entire ordeal, he'd remained completely silent, quieter than even Vanya. He glares at the ground, arms crossed over his chest to hide the fact that his hands are trembling. "H-h-h-he des-deser-serves to g- to go to pr-pr-prison."

Another lull in speech, and until Vanya quietly speaks up with a heart-breakingly fragile voice. "What's going to happen to us?"

* * *

The clock ticking is the only sound throughout the safe house.

It's a tense, quiet night, and for the first time in over ten years, Reginald is all alone.

It is of little consequence to him, of course, as many things are. His house is always quiet, even when there are children in it. From his spot in his office, it feels like any other night.

Of course, most other nights he isn't hiding out in his third, lesser known mansion in an attempt to avoid the police, but that is far from the point. Technically, he doesn't even need to hide from them, anyways, seeing as he's made bail and is, virtually, a free man- until trial, of course. But he is nothing if not wealthy, and he will see to it that it gets postponed until the day he dies.

Rather, the main thing he chose this house for is that it is now his only option. His first house is right by those blasted Addams', and his second was torched by that reckless, useless Number Six. He should never have taken that girl, and he knew it. He knew she'd be nothing but a cancer to him.

Still, the fact remains that he is here now, and unlike in fables and fairy tales, there is no going back. It appears that, unfortunately, the Umbrella Academy has been suspended until further notice. (He will get those kids back. He _will._ There is too much riding on this for him to simply quit now.)

Just downstairs, unbeknownst to him, Fran makes herself tea and sits by the window. It's a quiet night, but she knows that it won't be for very long. She will enjoy the peace while it lasts.

Mr. Midnight mews softly from his place on her lap, and she smiles, gently scratching his head. "This is going to be quite the ordeal, isn't it, Mr. Midnight?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it wasn't too rushed, I was just too excited to get it all down and have them get saved already lol. I'm also quite anticipating the end. This is the first story that I've gotten even close to completing! I hope you liked it!


	14. Retribution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end is nigh, as is the judgement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Death is nothing more than the absence of love. Once you can't feel love, you die… even if your body still walks.” - King Ziar, Fran Bow video game
> 
> y'all... did you know that the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice in Wonderland, Alice Liddell, got married to a man named Reginald Hargreaves? Like, coincidence??? I THINK NOT. Either way, just a cool fact. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy!

When Dave comes home from school, something is very different.

He can feel it in the air. He doesn't know what it is exactly, but it almost feels like everything is somehow brighter, or maybe a little warmer. He can see it in his Momma's face when she gets off the phone with someone, the way she rushes over to him like Christmas has come early.

"Honey," she says, barely containing her relief and excitement, and Dave can't help but feel like his chest is expanding, as much as he doesn't want to give himself false hope. "Honey, they found them, and they're coming home." And suddenly it doesn't matter that he doesn't want false hope, because there isn't any _need_ for hope when his dreams have come true, and before he can think about it he's off the table and clutching his Momma with everything he has.

"Where- I- where?" He asks desperately, and he doesn't realize he's fighting back tears until he notices that Momma is, too. She gives him a watery smile.

"They're still at the hospital, sweetie, but they're going to be transferred to a closer one tonight, and their parents say they'll be released in about a week. They're coming home, baby, they're coming home." And suddenly Dave can't hold back his tears anymore. He sobs into his Momma's chest as she coos and holds him close, but for the first time in months, it's not from despair. For the first time since that terrible day in February, Dave cries tears of joy and relief.

* * *

Dave is practically vibrating the entire ride to the hospital, and by the time they're in the elevator he's almost bouncing off the walls. Susan calms her son by handing him the flowers and telling him that he can be the one to present them, which makes him feel more responsible. She can see it in the way he suddenly puffs his chest and stands as rigidly as possible, and she can't help but laugh a little at her adorable son.

The second the doors open, he's speeding down the hall to the boys' room, and she chases after him in exasperation. "Slow down, honey! You don't want to drop the flowers!" He doesn't seem to hear her, though, until he actually arrives at their destination. He hesitates to knock, as if suddenly worried that they won't actually be there, or even that they might not want to see him. After all, he was the last person to see either of them before they disappeared. What if they blame him?

But then the door opens anyway as a nurse steps out, having given them yet another check-up. She looks at the large bouquet and smiles. "Don't worry, they're awake," she reassures him. "Do you wanna come inside?" Susan finally catches up to Dave and smiles sheepishly at the nurse.

"Yes, please," Dave mumbles, embarrassed for whatever reason. The nurse steps aside and they enter. Inside, Klaus sits on the edge of his bed and swings his legs, listening as Diego reads him and Ben a book. They all turn to their visitors.

The second they lay eyes on each other, Klaus and Dave's eyes light up and Dave practically flings himself at Klaus.

"Klaus!" He wails, throwing his arms around his crush, who hugs him back just as fiercely. All this time, Dave missed the way it felt when Klaus would wrap his spindly arms around him, and as he burrows his face in the crook of his neck, he's too ecstatic to care about how Klaus smells like cleaning products and medicine.

"Dave!" Klaus' embrace is surprisingly strong for how thin he is, almost as if he's trying to absorb Dave via sheer willpower. He's rambling now, but Dave isn't sure what it means, since it's something of a blend of Italian and French, though Dave recognizes the occasional English word thrown in there. Eventually they pull away, mostly because Dave is about to lose his grip on the bouquet, which is dangerous since it's actually in a little glass vase.

"We brought flowers," he murmurs, showing them to Klaus. "I know you only like the really poisonous flowers, like Foxgloves and Lily of the valleys, but Momma said those are too dangerous, and the hospital won't allow them, so I got you irises instead, 'cause my plant book says those are poisonous too." Klaus looks ready to melt, and he lets out a dopey giggle. Ben groans.

"It's been half a minute and they're being sappy again. Diego, save me." He buries his head in Diego's shoulder as the boy tries to stifle his laughter. Dave's face burns in embarrassment, but that doesn't wipe the smile off his face. Nothing can, he thinks. He goes over to Ben and wraps him into a hug, which Ben returns.

"I missed you too, Ben," Dave says, still laughing a little. "And we bought you candy, but the lady at the front desk says we can't take them inside, so you have to wait to get your gift." He feels his friend smile against him.

"I _guess_ I missed you."

* * *

It's exactly midnight when Fran nearly loses her nigh-infinite patience.

Mr. Midnight can see the impatience starting to overcome her, an aggression quite unlike her early days. The beginning is quite a few layers ago. She is nowhere near the same anymore. She can't help but remember this fact as her gaze lingers on that letter opener of hers. It could be so terribly easy. No one would ever suspect a thing- there would be nothing _to_ suspect. The feline observes her carefully.

"If you stain your hands with blood once more, your soul is his to devour." Fran sighs at the reminder.

"Which is the sole reason why I haven't done anything yet." In another world, she could've. In another world, she  _did._ It is why she is here now, in the first place.

She isn't allowed to do it again.

Fran makes a visit in order to remind herself of the importance of her plan. She is too close to give it all up now.

She feels somewhat powerless, a sensation she hasn't experienced in quite a few layers now. There is not much left for her to do, even less than she's had before. But still, the tasks she has at hand are as simple as they are crucial.

And so she does as she can, as she  _must,_ clutching her bouquet tighter as she descends the stairs of the Academy. Fran steps outside, and before long she is where she desires to be.

"I must admit, my dear, you have quite the unfortunate taste in men. I certainly apologize for what I have no choice but to do. He really did bring this on to himself." She spends a moment sitting beside her old friend in silence, enjoying the crisp air as she leans to rest her head on them. Eventually, she determines that she must leave. "Farewell." She whispers to her beloved companion, and leaves the blossoms there with them.

In the gentle breeze of the night, pale petals fly loose from the blossoms and dance delicately, as if bewitched, around the gravestone. HERE LIES ALICE PLEASANCE LIDDELL HARGREEVES, it says. Fran rests a reassuring hand on the grave marker, then departs back for the Academy. There is work to be done.

* * *

Not long after she returns, the doorbell rings. She sets down her teacup, and traipses down the stairs. They are exactly on time.

Fran opens the door to find the entire Addams clan- distant relatives included- standing outside the door. She smiles kindly. "He's right upstairs," she tells them, shifting out of the way to give them room to enter. "He's already fast asleep."

"Perfect," Morticia says. "We will be the ones to wake him." The family glides up the stairs silently, like a sea of darkness, or perhaps even death itself. Fran follows them up to the second floor, and guides them all the way to his bedroom. Without a sound, she opens the door, and they all slip inside.

* * *

Reginald wakes with a start.

At first, he doesn't know what woke him. He assumes it's just one of those days, and is ready to write it off and return back to the embrace of sleep, when he realizes there are people all around him, stationed throughout the room. He bolts up in surprise, but is shoved down by a forceful palm.

"No no, not so fast," a man says. It takes Reginald's eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness, but once it does he finds himself staring into the eyes of Gomez Addams. "You don't have anywhere to go."

"You wouldn't want to be inhospitable to your guests, would you?" A lilting voice greets Reginald's ears, and he watches as Morticia Addams approaches. "Though I suppose it won't matter soon."

Reginald tries to escape again, but is held down by a bulky man that can only be Fester, and soon Pugsley and Wednesday are binding him to the bed. "Do it just the way I taught you, my dears," Morticia says, inspecting her children's handiwork. When all is said and done, Reginald is bound to the bedpost and gagged with a cloth.

"The adults are going to be quite busy, children. Wait outside with Miss Fran."

"Oh, but Mother, we want to stay. Please, you know how much this means to us!" Morticia sighs affectionately, and one of the other relatives laughs.

"Sure got your hands full, dear," the older woman comments. "What exemplary Addams' children." All three of them seem to preen, as if they don't recognize the inappropriate nature of the setting and conversation.

"Why thank you," Morticia says, then finally relents with her son and daughter. She hands them chunky pliers and a scalpel respectively. "You are only allowed to use these. Remember, teamwork and creativity is key." The kids cheer, and with the matter resolved, the entire clan turns their attention back on Reginald.

"Now, let's not waste any more time," Gomez says. The intruders pull out their tools, a vast array of items ranging from various blades to hammers to even a few spears. "We've got our work cut out for us." Quite eagerly, the demons descend upon him.

Be it skill, or perhaps even fate, but Reginald's muffled screams never make it outside the door.

* * *

Reginald groans as he gradually regains consciousness, feeling as if he'd been run over by a freight train. It takes him a minute to even partially gather his thoughts, his mind feeling completely foggy and muddled during that time. Where _is_ he?

"I see you have awoken." His sight is still blurry when he tries to find the source of the voice. When his vision clears, he recognizes the small figure perched delicately on his large office chair. Number Four smiles down at him, idly twirling his antique gold dagger. "I'm glad that you have decided to join us." From the small space left between her knees and chest, a pair of glowing golden eyes peek out at him.

"Number Four," Reginald splutters, trying to keep his words from slurring. "What-" Number Four tuts at him, shaking her head in disappointment.

"It's not 'Number Four', Reginald," she corrects. She uses the dagger to accentuate her gestures. "My name is Fran. Just because you refuse to acknowledge it does not mean it does not exist." She points at him with the blade. "I would appreciate hearing you say it."

"Num-"

"Ah." Another gesture with the blade. "That's not right. It's _Fran,_ Reginald. You're an educated man. I'm sure you can repeat it. Come, now. Say it with me.  _Fran."_ It is then that Reginald realizes that Fran's gaze is sharp and piercing, as if she endeavors to cut him open and look inside him with just her stare.

"F-F-Fran." He chokes it out, and Fran watches him blankly for a long time. Finally, her lips spread into a smile.

"See? That wasn't that hard, now was it?" She pets her cat's head, and he purrs, leaning into the touch. "I was sure you could do it. Old dogs can learn new tricks, too."

"F-Fr-Fran, what do you want? Why are we here? What- what is this?"

"Why, Reginald, can't you tell? This is retribution." She smiles at whatever look he must have on his face. "Did you think it would simply end with the Addams'? I admit, they did a splendid job- I've never witnessed a more skillful flaying. That Morticia truly is a marvel. But nothing done to mortal flesh could ever truly be enough." 

And suddenly, the twinkle in her eyes takes on a darker light than it ever has before.

"I- so they truly-"

"Killed you? Hm, perhaps. Though I suppose it depends on your definition of death. I've learned over time that I don't have quite the same answer as everyone else. By their standards, I'm sure you are well and truly dead. Your heart most certainly ceased to beat in the realm of Pandora. But there's always another way to look at things." She turns to her cat, as if to ask him for the answer. "What was it that King Ziar once said? 'Death is nothing more than the absence of love'?" She looks back at Reginald. "I suppose if that's the case, you've never truly been alive, have you?"

The girl cradles the kitten with both arms as she stands, making her way over to him. "I hope you settle in quite nicely," she says, circling him, "because we will be here for a long, long time. Not that it will matter, of course. Because you, Reginald, are never going back." It is when he feels the cold, light sensation of the blade gently trailing over his neck that he makes a run for it. He musters all the strength in his legs and flings himself at the door, gripping the handle and throwing it open. He nearly makes the mistake of tumbling headfirst out of the room, until he sees what is waiting for him outside.

Reginald gasps and stumbles backwards, hitting the ground again. Behind him, Fran tuts like an adult chastising a child. "Enough of that, where do you think you can go?" Through the doorway is nothing short of hell. He can barely comprehend what any of it means, from swirling skies of blood red that suddenly become faces and trees and nothingness, to the vast fiery landscape that is, in the same instance, meadows full of daisies and a sea of horrid, shrieking beasts and the bustling cityscape and an empty, endless abyss. Beyond this door is everything and nothing, and Reginald's mind spins with the inability to comprehend it all.

Fran shuts the door and turns to him. "None of that, now," she says, "We don't need any distractions. Let's save that for later, hm?" She strolls over to him, and he scrambles backwards, still on the floor. "We have all the time in the world for that, I assure you." She sees the panic in the man's eyes, and a smile spreads long and sharp across her face. "Oh, don't worry. _I_ can't do anything to you. But I can certainly fetch someone who _can."_

Suddenly, a swirl of unidentified colors bursts into existence a few feet away, creating a large whirlpool in midair. It stays there, colors spinning wildly, the sounds of laughter and screams and chatter growing louder as the opening does.

Reginald's eyes widen to the size of saucers. "No,  _no!_ You can't! I made sure you couldn't!"

She steps towards him, kneeling to get closer to his size. How the mighty have fallen. "Oh, but I  _can."_ She croons, smiling at him with pity. "I always have. But you were so terribly consumed by your own delusions of grandeur that you simply never noticed. Such a shame. You've always been quite absorbed by your self-presumed brilliance."

"I- the world-"

"Will be just fine in my care. Don't you worry, Reginald." She leans in, and whispers in his ear, "It will all be perfect once you are gone. It will all be made _perfect."_

Right then, a figure comes through the portal, tall and hulking as it crouches to fit inside. He looks just the way Fran remembered, from the blood-covered goat skull and massive, pitch black body. The creature trains his empty eye sockets on her as she stands and pats down her skirt. "You," he rumbles. She inclines her head.

"Hello again, Remor. How is Mother Mabuka?" Remor growls, though Fran remains unfazed.

"I am no fan of idle chatter, Fran Bow. You of all know this quite well." He pauses, before adding, "You have done as you promised."

"Indeed, I have." She looks down at Reginald, who is still sprawled out on the floor, then back at Remor. "I believe that with this, I have fulfilled my end of the agreement. And now I expect you to do the same." Remor points at her with a sharp talon.

"Do not patronize me. I am not one to go back on my word." He turns to Reginald, and snorts at the man's crumpled form. "To think that a single human could accomplish so much, and yet, so little." And with that, he snatches the man up, ignoring his feeble protests.

"Number Four," he calls out, but Fran does not respond. She is not Number Four. "Number Four, think about your actions. You do not want to do this!"

He continues trying to reason with her, and her lips quirk upwards just the slightest bit. It is, after all, quite entertaining to watch such irony unfold. The unreasonable cannot be reasoned with; that, she has learned from coexisting with him.

As he struggles, Fran allows the illusion to fall, and Reginald's body loses its previous appearance, becoming a reflection of the state of its mortal flesh. Losing skin and teeth and nails, he becomes a shambling, screeching corpse, vainly flailing as Remor takes his prize.

She stares at the wretch's morbid face as he is dragged into the deep. Her gaze remains steady, even after his screams die out, and he has disappeared from sight.

* * *

Fran approaches the desk. Reginald's precious book lays atop it, still splayed open to the page he last used. A quick skim makes it clear what it's about. As she glances at the book, her eyes land on one particular profile.

NUMBER FOUR, it reads in large letters. _'Acquired in Sweden... Mother deceased...'_ Her gaze roves over to the end, and she pauses.

_'Number Four possesses the ability to see the different layers of reality. Possibly extends to alternate dimensions. Does not show signs of traversing or summoning. Extremely unpredictable behavior. Progress appears stagnant. It is in everyone's best interest that it remains so. Passive temperament. Unresponsive to the usual methods of coercion or manipulation. Limitations unknown. Do not give her Duotine.'_

Fran sighs. Oh, Reginald.

If only he'd known.

It is better that he never did, Fran decides, as otherwise he would have certainly been far more of a hassle than he already was. It wouldn't have stopped her, of course, but it would've certainly been troublesome.

She's glad it all worked out in the end.

Still, the evidence remains, and anyone who has ever had to hide their tracks knows that is the most dangerous thing to allow. Fran grabs the book, closing it as she steps over to the open rift. They do not need this. They do not need  _him._

She throws it into the gateway, and watches as it closes behind the book. The howling instantly dies, the air clearing, and soon the world is righted again, as if nothing had ever happened.

* * *

The next morning is, quite poetically, perfect.

The sky is cloudless and bright, the weather calm and moderate. The birds rouse the world awake with their sweet melody. Fran comes downstairs to the dining room with Mr. Midnight in her arms.

Grace is there, cooking breakfast for her. She smiles and greets the woman, then takes her rightful place at the head of the table. Fran takes her sweet time with her meal, languidly spreading butter over her waffles and being rather picky about which fruits to add to her bowl.

She knows that at some point, her siblings will realize she is gone. They have been staying elsewhere during this time, and Fran knows it won't be long before they wonder where she is. And then she will go to them, where they are, and join them. The Addams have already approached her with the proposition of joining their family for however long she'd like. She thinks she'll take them up on their offer.

But for now, she will enjoy this peace, knowing that everything has been made right, knowing that nothing will ever be wrong again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Fran Bow, there's a cameo of Alice in Wonderland. She's in a photo with Fran, who remarks that they're apparently classmates. She even has the same last name as the real Alice, and the trademark Alice in Wonderland outfit. As soon as I found out about Reginald's and Fran's connection to Alice, I couldn't help but put it in the fic :)
> 
> Thank you guys so much for reading up to this point. The next chapter will be an epilogue, where we will see what our beloved characters are up to in the future. Get ready!


End file.
